Editor's Note: Since the discovery of the first AIDS patient in China in 1985, an enduring battle, devoid of gunfire, has persisted for nearly forty years. Generation after generation of…
The 15th National Conference on AIDS and Hepatitis C, hosted by the Chinese Medical Association and its Infectious Diseases Branch, took place in Guangzhou from November 10 to 12, 2023. Dr. Taisheng Li, the conference chair and a renowned figure from Peking Union Medical College Hospital, delivered a captivating presentation titled "A New Concept in Comprehensive Diagnosis and Treatment in the Post-ART Era of HIV/AIDS." In an exclusive interview with Infectious Disease Frontline, he further shared insights on topics including immune reconstitution deficiency in HIV-infected individuals.
Co-President of APACC 2023, Chief Researcher at the Center of Excellence for HIV/AIDS Research (CERiA) at the University of Malaya, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Research Fellow at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne. She is primarily responsible for the University of Malaya's HIV Immunology Translational Research Program, with her current research focus on the immunopathogenic mechanisms of aging in HIV/AIDS patients and their impact on patient health.
Honorary Dr. at the Amsterdam University Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, former President of the European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) (2008-2012), former Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia on the Governing Council of the International AIDS Society (IAS) (2006-2014), Co-Chair of the 22nd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2018), Director of the Netherlands HIV Monitoring Foundation, member of the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH/NAID) HIV Vaccine Data and Safety Monitoring Board, and member of various committees including CROI, EACS, and HIV Glasgow.
The 8th Asia-Pacific AIDS and Co-infection Conference (APACC 2023) was held in Singapore from June 8 to 10, 2023. During this conference, an oral presentation (Abstract #9) conducted by Dr. Linghua Li's team from the Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, China, attracted significant attention. Dr. Li 's team, based on the latest findings from a large cohort study, revealed that the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance rate in HIV/HBV co-infected individuals who received long-term combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) could reach 8.1%. Furthermore, the research results unveiled that the main influencing factors for HBsAg clearance in HIV/HBV co-infected individuals included low baseline HBsAg levels, HBV genotype B, and a more than two-fold increase in ALT within six months of treatment.
Over the years, significant progress has been made in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS and co-infections. Society has provided the best medications and professional knowledge to combat HIV infections, making substantial contributions to those affected. From June 8th to 10th, 2023, the Asia-Pacific AIDS and Co-Infections Conference (APACC 2023) was held in Singapore. In this issue, we are honored to invite Dr. Lang Bai, Deputy Director of the Infectious Diseases Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, China, to share with us the latest research on Talaromyces marneffei infection, a common fungal disease among AIDS patients and other immunocompromised individuals in Southeast Asia.
Infectious Disease/HIV Specialist and Medical Professor at Monash University Alfred Hospital, Australia. Member of the Australian Antiretroviral Guidelines Committee and the International Antiviral Society-USA (IAS-USA) Antiretroviral Guidelines Panel. Leading and participating in the development of new antiretroviral drugs and the prevention and management of opportunistic infections, with a primary research focus on complications related to aging in HIV-infected individuals and their pathogenesis, prevention, and management.
In the recent 12th International AIDS Society (IAS) HIV Science Conference (IAS 2023), a research study from South Africa found that, despite seldom adhering to antiretroviral therapy (ART), 5 male children who were born with HIV still maintained undetectable viral loads. Researchers believe that due to innate immunological gender differences, boys might have a better chance of achieving sustained virological remission than girls.
As HIV treatment enters the post-ART era, drug side effects and complications have become significant factors affecting the quality of life for patients. Approximately 20% of patients, after 1-2 years of treatment, have viral loads below the detectable limit, but their CD4 cell count remains below normal levels, leading to poorer clinical outcomes.
On July 23, 2023, the 12th International AIDS Society (IAS) HIV Science Conference, referred to as IAS 2023, officially began in Brisbane, Australia. As one of the largest open academic conferences in the global HIV and AIDS field, the event attracted participation from experts, medical professionals, community groups, and medical enterprises worldwide. The conference emphasized the importance of science as the foundation of policy and practice, highlighting the close integration of science, policy, and activism to promote significant advancements in the HIV and AIDS sector. The theme of the conference is "End Inequalities. End AIDS. End Pandemics.", reflecting IAS's ultimate vision. The goal is to rally health experts globally towards the shared ambition of eradicating AIDS by 2030.
