Considerações sobre o problema da difusão do vírus HIV no sistema penitenciário brasileiro = Consideration on the problem of dissemination of the HIV virus in the brazilian penitantiary system

“Os presídios brasileiros têm se tornado verdadeiros focos de contaminação pelo HIV, revelando-se, por conseguinte, de fundamental importância a implementação de mecanismos de prevenção, ante a inexistência de tratamentos curativos. A superação dos obstáculos, entretanto, depende da vontade política dos governantes e de sua fundamentação jurídica, haja vista que o contexto carcerário exige maiores critérios no combate à infecção pelo vírus; para tanto, a fim de que não sejam violados os direitos da comunidade de detentos, há que se ter em vista a idéia da redução de danos e a regra da proporcionalidade.”“Brazilian penitentiary has become real focus of contamination by HIV, showing this way the fundamental importance of the implementation of preventing mechanisms in face of the inexistent curative treatment. However, overcoming the obstacles depends on the political willing of governments and their juridical basements, once the prison context demands better criteria in the combat of infection by the virus. Thus, in order not to be violated the detentioned community rights we must have in mind the idea of damages reduction and the rule of proportionality.

Toward cell therapy using placenta-derived cells: Disease mechanisms, cell biology, preclinical studies, and regulatory aspects at the round table

Among the many cell types which may prove useful to regenerative medicine, mounting evidence suggests that human term placenta-derived cells will join the list of significant contributors. In making new cell therapy-based strategies a clinical reality, it is fundamental that no a priori claims are made regarding which cell source is preferable for a particular therapeutic application. Rather, ongoing comparisons of the potentiality and characteristics of cells from different sources should be made to promote constant improvement in cell therapies, and such comparisons will likely show that individually-tailored cells can address disease-specific clinical needs. The principle underlying such an approach is resistance to the notion that comprehensive characterization of any cell type has been achieved, neither in terms of phenotype nor risks-to-benefits ratio. Tailoring cell therapy approaches to specific conditions also requires an understanding of basic disease mechanisms and close collaboration between translational researchers and clinicians, to identify current needs and shortcomings in existing treatments. To this end, the international workshop entitled "Placenta-derived stem cells for treatment of inflammatory diseases: moving toward clinical application" was held in Brescia, Italy, in March 2009, and aimed to harness an understanding of basic inflammatory mechanisms inherent in human diseases with updated findings regarding biological and therapeutic properties of human placenta-derived cells, with particular emphasis on their potential for treating inflammatory diseases. Finally, steps required to allow their future clinical application according to regulatory aspects including good manufacturing practice (GMP) were also considered. In September, 2009, the International Placenta Stem Cell Society (IPLASS) was founded to help strengthen the research network in this field