Tranquilidad en la era del Ozempic: La semaglutida demuestra ser segura para la salud mental en personas con VIH
Por Mario Comegna | Basado en los reportes de la Conferencia CROI 2026 La revolución de los medicamentos para la pérdida de peso y la diabetes, encabezada por la semaglutida (los famosos Ozempic, Wegovy y Rybelsus), ha cambiado las reglas del juego en la medicina moderna. Sin embargo, para las personas que viven con VIH, la introducción de cualquier fármaco nuevo…
Lenacapvir: The fetish of the "vaccine" and the slap of inequality
By: Elías El Hage. It's fascinating to see how the European press and international news agencies have fallen into a collective trance, dubbing Lenacapvir the "six-monthly vaccine." A semantic error bordering on irresponsibility. Meanwhile, in the comfortable health centers of Madrid or Berlin, this advance is celebrated as the end of the pill era…
Weekly oral treatment for HIV remains promising
A weekly combination of lenacapavir and islatravir pills maintained viral suppression for 48 weeks. By Liz Highleyman. A weekly oral regimen of Gilead Sciences' HIV capsid inhibitor, lenacapavir, and Merck's experimental antiretroviral, islatravir, kept the virus suppressed as well as daily pills for a year, according to the results…
HIV: A 'secret' of elite controllers revealed
By Carmen Fernández. Lymphocytes are divided into three different types: B cells, T cells, and natural killer (NK) cells. The latter belong to the innate immune system and form part of the first line of defense against a wide range of pathogens; that is, they provide protection against viral and bacterial infections and also help to detect…
People with HIV can safely receive kidneys from HIV-positive donors
The findings of a US study should help dispel the "remaining doubts" about safety, says a researcher. By Kristen Monaco. Kidney transplants from HIV-positive donors appeared to be non-inferior to those from HIV-negative donors in terms of safety for HIV-positive recipients, an observational study indicated. Among 198 HIV-positive patients…
New long-acting HIV prevention options for women and girls in an era of choice
New Long-Acting HIV Prevention Options for Women and Girls in an Era of Choice: New long-acting technologies are changing the landscape of HIV prevention. In recent years, innovation in pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has accelerated. Long-acting injectable cabotegravir and…
Nobel Prize in Medicine for the discovery of microRNAs, the molecules that control our genes
By Justin Stebbing. Two scientists, Victor Ambros (UMass Chan Medical School in the US) and Gary Ruvkun (Harvard Medical School in the US), have won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Medicine. They received the prestigious award for discovering tiny molecules found in our cells called microRNAs. This discovery has not only changed our understanding of how our bodies work, but also…
Tattoos and hepatitis C: what are the risks?
By Liz Highleyman and Cassidy Gardner. Tattoos done under sterile conditions are safe, but unsterilized tattoos can transmit the blood-borne hepatitis C virus (HCV), as well as hepatitis B and HIV. What do you need to know to avoid getting HCV when getting a tattoo? Here are some answers to frequently asked questions. How do you…
The WHO approves the first test to diagnose mpox
The device consists of a real-time PCR test that allows the detection of the disease from samples taken from patients. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced this Friday that the first rapid diagnostic test for mpox has been approved, which will help improve prevention in…
The second Berlin patient: sustained HIV remission exceeds five years without antiretroviral therapy after a heterozygous CCR5 WT/Δ32 heterozygous hematopoietic stem cell transplant
Presented by Christian Gaebler. BACKGROUND: A scalable cure for HIV remains elusive. Successful cases, including the pioneering cure observed in the so-called first Berlin patient, are limited to individuals receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants (aHSCTs) with homozygous CCR5 Δ32 allografts that confer resistance to HIV infection…
No human immunodeficiency virus infections after biannual use of pre-exposure prophylaxis
By Brian Owens. Lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) capsid inhibitor, has demonstrated 100% efficacy in preventing HIV infection in women at high risk, according to an interim analysis of the phase 3 PURPOSE 1 trial. The results…
The Impact of Social Networks on the Mental Health of Young People: A Contemporary Challenge
In the last decade, social media has become an integral part of young people's lives. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook not only facilitate communication and the sharing of experiences, but also influence how teenagers and young adults perceive themselves and…
What are the purposes of the Pride March in Venezuela?
This Sunday, July 7, 2024, Caracas will host the Pride March, an event that, beyond its festive connotation, represents a crucial demonstration in the fight for human rights. This march is not only for the LGBTQ+ community, but for all those who believe in equality, justice, and…
Preventing HIV would only require two injections a year
By Susana María Rico Barrera. Gilead presented new data on a drug in development for HIV. The information was obtained as part of the Purpose 1 clinical trial conducted in South Africa and Uganda, in which more than 5,300 women and adolescents participated. In the research, the drug lenacapavir has shown promising results in preventing…
Feelings about sex after your HIV diagnosis
Krishen Samuel: Good sex, intimacy, and physical pleasure are integral aspects of well-being. This is no different if you are living with HIV. People with HIV want the same things as everyone else: love, affection, and the pleasure and satisfaction that can be given and received through sex. But often…
Nutrition in Medicine: Diets
M. Yannakoulia and N. Scarmeas, N Engl J Med 2024. Food consumption provides essential and non-essential nutrients to the human body, thereby promoting growth and health. Individual food choices and the potential modification of eating habits are complex issues, influenced by food availability and acceptability. Availability…