HIV

In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, virus replication in and adaptation to the central nervous system (CNS) can result in neurocognitive deficits in approximately 25% of patients with unsuppressed viremia. While no single viral mutation can be agreed upon as distinguishing the neuroadapted population, earlier studies have demonstrated that a machine learning (ML) approach could be applied to identify a collection of mutational signatures within the virus envelope glycoprotein (Gp120) predictive of disease.

HIV-related stigma is recognized as a top barrier to achieve viral suppression in the United States, but data describing who is most affected by HIV stigma is limited. The study sought to (1) identify the relationships between HIV-related stigma and unsuppressed viral load and (2) examine whether the association between HIV stigma subtypes and unsuppressed viral load differ by age group (i.e., 18–34, 35–49, and 50+ years-old) using surveillance data from the Florida Medical Monitoring Project (n = 1195). Most participants were 50+ years-old (55%), male (71%), and Black (51%).

Experts in viral evolution and artificial intelligence are teaming up to create an algorithm capable of predicting novel coronavirus variants before they become public health threats. They will also study how the coronavirus mutates in people coinfected with HIV and COVID-19 to better understand how variants emerge.

In 2016, Florida was second only to California for the number of new HIV diagnoses, and it consistently ranks among the top three states for its rate of new infections. The Miami metro area in particular has the highest HIV infection rate in the country, and Jacksonville is also counted among the top ten cities in the United States for its HIV infection rate.

Blood from HIV-infected human subjects shows an immune response against a cat AIDS virus protein, a surprise finding that could help scientists find a way to develop a human AIDS vaccine, report University of Florida and University of California, San Francisco researchers.