A new biography, “The King: The Life of Charles III” by Christopher Andersen, claims that Donald Trump aggressively pursued Princess Diana after her 1996 divorce from Prince Charles. Despite Diana rebuffing his advances, Trump later boasted on a radio program that he could have “nailed her if I wanted to,” provided she passed an HIV test. These remarks were made during interviews with Howard Stern in 1997 and 2000. Trump allegedly sent Diana massive bouquets of flowers, which she found creepy and intrusive. Despite Trump’s claims of meeting Diana only once, testimonies from Diana’s friends suggest otherwise.

This article prompted a discussion on the latest research on HIV, highlighting recent breakthroughs:

Article Summaries on HIV Research

Most Promising: Lenacapavir Trial Results

Drug: Lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable HIV-1 capsid inhibitor.

• Trial: Phase 3 PURPOSE 1.
• Participants: Over 5,300 cisgender women and adolescent girls aged 16-25 in South Africa and Uganda.
• Efficacy: 100% efficacy in preventing HIV infections.
• Comparison: Superior to once-daily oral Truvada.
• Results:
  • Lenacapavir Group: 0 HIV infections.
  • Truvada Group: 16 infections.
  • Descovy Group: 39 infections.
• Safety: Well-tolerated, no significant safety concerns.
• Next Steps: Detailed results to be presented at a future conference; future studies and regulatory approval planned.

Advances in HIV Cure Research: Promising TACK Drugs At the CROI 2024 conference, significant progress was reported on TACK (targeted activation of cell kill) drugs, which induce self-destruction of HIV-infected cells, potentially eradicating the virus. These drugs target long-lived HIV reservoir cells, crucial for achieving a cure. Merck’s candidate TACK drug, Pyr01, has shown promising results in mouse studies, rapidly reducing HIV viral loads.

HIV Virus-Like Particle (HLP) Therapeutic An international research team led by Eric Arts and Jamie Mann developed a new HIV-virus-like-particle (HLP) therapeutic, which shows promise in targeting and eliminating latent HIV reservoirs. Published in Emerging Microbes and Infections, the study found that HLPs were 100 times more potent than other HIV cure candidates, offering a potential affordable and accessible treatment option. Additional Source: https://news.westernu.ca/2024/03/researchers-a-step-closer-to-hiv-cure/

Early HIV Treatment in Infants A NIH-funded study presented at CROI 2024 reported that four children remained free of detectable HIV for over a year after pausing antiretroviral therapy (ART). The study involved infants who started ART within 48 hours of birth and demonstrated that very early treatment limits HIV reservoir development, enhancing the potential for HIV remission.

Conclusion

In light of recent revelations about Donald Trump’s behavior towards Princess Diana, it’s important to focus on the significant progress being made in HIV research. Notably, studies have shown promising results in achieving HIV remission in children treated early after birth, highlighting the importance of early intervention and ongoing efforts to find a cure for HIV. For more details on these groundbreaking advancements, check out our latest post on the strides being made towards ending the HIV epidemic by 2030. #HIVResearch #MedicalAdvances #EndHIV