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HIV HOPE

A vaccine has been produced to block the HIV virus in infected patients. The vaccine, created at the Italian National Aids Centre, contains small amounts of the Tat protein, which emerges early in HIV and stimulates replication of the virus. The vaccine was found to trigger an immune response to Tat, halting HIV progression and boosting the effectiveness of antiretroviral drugs. Dr Barbara Ensoli said: €These results open new scenarios to investigate, namely whether this vaccine may help with virus control where patients have low adherence to antiretroviral therapy, to simplify treatment and to reduce transmission.€

WEIGHT FEARS

Babies born by caesarean section have been found more likely to become overweight adults. The project, analysing data from 10 countries, was the largest to show the link. The researchers, at Imperial College London, could not establish that caesareans cause the tendency, as other factors absent from the data could be relevant. However, they observe that the healthy gut bacteria differ in caesarean babies, and compression of children born naturally appears to influence which genes are switched on, possibly affecting metabolism. The odds, of 26 per cent, that caesarean babies will be overweight adults were calculated by dividing the number of overweight people in the study by the number of those of normal weight.

MIGRAINE 'GROUND-BREAKER'

Treatment with an antibody that binds to a peptide known to trigger severe migraine has been shown to reduce significantly the number of headaches suffered by patients. If the treatment, a monthly injection for three months, passes further tests, it could be available within a few years. The findings follow a multi-centre trial by the international Israeli pharmaceuticals company Teva. Professor Peter Goadsby, who chairs the British Association for the Study of Headache, said: €This announcement is of ground-breaking importance as it represents the first potential specific treatment for chronic migraine.€

MND SEARCH

A total of 1,700 DNA samples from motor neurone disease patients are now being sequenced by the MND Association with proceeds from last year's Ice Bucket Challenge event. Researchers are carrying out the work as part of Project MinE, a 14-country collaboration to uncover the genetic mutations behind the condition, which attacks the brain and spinal nerves enabling movement. Altogether 15,000 samples from patients and 7,500 from people without the disease are being analysed.

SAVING CORNEAS

Methods of detecting immunity damage to donor corneas are being developed at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London to protect transplants and save sight. Ophthalmic surgeon Frank Larkin, who is conducting the project with support from Fight for Sight, said: €By identifying which corneal grafts are populated by immune cells at an early stage we expect to tailor medication which prevents rejection.€

VIT THAT MAY BE FIT

Vitamin D has been found lacking in over-65s with uncontrolled asthma, a group in which the condition is little understood. Researchers in Philadelphia discovered that the combination of vitamin D receptors in the bronchial smooth muscle and low vitamin D levels led to airway reactions and poor function. They advised larger studies to determine whether vitamin D supplementation would help.