Combating HIV/AIDS: biomedical approaches towards prevention

For over three decades, HIV/AIDS has had a deleterious impact on public health the world over. There is still no cure for the disease although preventive strategies have evolved over the years to reduce its impact. In addition to behavioural change approaches, biomedical interventions have played a major part in reduction of HIV transmission and subsequently the burden associated with the HIV/AIDS disease. Early biomedical approaches include physical barriers such as condoms, use of clean injection equipment for intravenous drug users, blood and blood product screening. More recently, medical male circumcision and use of anti-retroviral drugs for prevention have been introduced. While these interventions have had a fundamental impact in reducing HIV incidence, the burden in many populations remains. Therefore, there is need to develop new biomedical methods to augment existing efforts. Future biomedical approaches may for instance include use of compounds that modulate the body’s immune system, such as acetylsalicylic acid, to cause resistance to HIV infection. Such approaches could be added to the HIV prevention toolkit.Keywords: HIV/AIDS, biomedical, prevention, immune quiescenceAfr. J. Biomed. Res. Vol. 22 (May, 2019); 105- 11

Human subcortical brain asymmetries in 15,847 people worldwide reveal effects of age and sex

The two hemispheres of the human brain differ functionally and structurally. Despite over a century of research, the extent to which brain asymmetry is influenced by sex, handedness, age, and genetic factors is still controversial. Here we present the largest ever analysis of subcortical brain asymmetries, in a harmonized multi-site study using meta-analysis methods. Volumetric asymmetry of seven subcortical structures was assessed in 15,847 MRI scans from 52 datasets worldwide. There were sex differences in the asymmetry of the globus pallidus and putamen. Heritability estimates, derived from 1170 subjects belonging to 71 extended pedigrees, revealed that additive genetic factors influenced the asymmetry of these two structures and that of the hippocampus and thalamus. Handedness had no detectable effect on subcortical asymmetries, even in this unprecedented sample size, but the asymmetry of the putamen varied with age. Genetic drivers of asymmetry in the hippocampus, thalamus and basal ganglia may affect variability in human cognition, including susceptibility to psychiatric disorders

Human subcortical brain asymmetries in 15,847 people worldwide reveal effects of age and sex

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11682-016-9629-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users