Heart drugs against HIV

They found that the speed of propagation of the virus in the body of patients slowing. Once patients perestavali medication, the number of agents increased HIV

In the Journal of Experimental Medicine, doctors are saying that drugs designed to combat high cholesterol in the blood may be on the means available to fight the disease. Statiny are millions of people around the world and they are usually cheaper drugs to combat HIV.

Research has been Professor Gustavo Del Real and his colleagues from the Spanish Council for Scientific Research. They say that these drugs are likely to prevent the virus infect healthy cells in the body. The virus can not penetrate through the membrane of healthy cells, has already infected a cell to escape, he can not.

The ensuing experiments on mice showed that statiny can slow the spread of the disease.

Additional studies

Doctors say that the first tests on a small group of patients most promise. "Our results indicate that cardiac drugs from the group can be very suitable antiviral drugs for more accessible AIDS treatment," write Del Real and his colleagues.

They specify that a certain findings required further study. Data show that statiny can stop the spread of the HIV virus sub-1 for the chronically sick. The results suggest the need for studies of new antiviral drugs as these, "says the article.

Recent studies also show that statiny can help in the fight against other diseases, from Alzheimer's to cancer.

The British government has recently liberalized trade in drugs of this type. Now they can be bought at pharmacies without a prescription. Professor Brian Gazzard, director of programs for the Study of HIV in a London hospital of the regional National Health System said that news of interest from Spain.

"Statiny really prevent HIV to enter the cell," he says. - Does this make the conclusion that they may become drug against HIV / AIDS, yet unclear. But these very interesting. "