Sidaction takes place throughout the weekend of March 25-26. This fundraising operation aims in particular to support research on AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Admittedly, very significant progress has been made in 40 years, but there is no cure. The virus is not eliminated from the body. The obstacle is what are called viral reservoirs, a major line of research.
Current antiretroviral drugs have become simpler. From several daily pills, we went to one tablet a day. They make it possible to live with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), to make it undetectable in the blood, but not to eradicate it. When treatment is stopped, the virus multiplies. In question, there are the viral reservoirs. The virus remains lurking in certain immune cells.
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” The reservoirs of the virus are generally certain types of white blood cells, including T4 lymphocytes, which are the target of the virus. A subpopulation in which the virus remains dormant, completely silent. So it will persist for life in these cells », explains Olivier Lambotte, researcher and professor of immunology at the University of Paris-Saclay.
Several avenues of research
Currently, there is no treatment to eliminate or control the reservoirs. But the researchers are exploring several avenues. “ The first axis is to target the reservoir cell itself, that is to say, try to find ways to identify it, to kill it, to prevent the virus from emerging. It’s targeting the reservoir cells themselves, so with chemotherapy you’re going to target the cancer cell, continues Olivier Lambotte. There’s a second strategy which is to target your own immune system so that it’s the one that ultimately does the work and gets boosted and optimized, and it’s the one that controls the reservoir. »
The challenge of research on reservoirs is to allow people infected with HIV to stop antiretroviral treatments, if not forever, at least for a long time, without the virus multiplying.
• To make a donation to Sidaction, you can go to the website aidaction.org or dial 110.
“ There is one aspect that is very important in children, it is the announcement of the serological status »
The Sidaction association is conducting its annual fundraising campaign this weekend. Each year, HIV infects more than 2 million new people worldwide. Today, an estimated 35 million people are living with HIV, half of whom do not know their status. Last year, 40 programs were carried out by 30 associations in 18 countries. Hélène Roger, director of the Analysis and advocacy division, explains how Sidaction supports local associations, such as in Côte d’Ivoire.
“ The SAS center (Social Action Solidarity Center) in Côte d’Ivoire is a reception center for HIV-positive families and people, but also everyone around them. He does family screening with paediatricians who are specifically trained to care for HIV-positive children, for all the support for these children, especially in terms of information on their status. There is one aspect which is very important in children, and that is the announcement of the serological status, especially in children born with HIV. At some point, you have to prepare them for this announcement and explain to them why they take treatments regularly, etc. And then, these are children who later, too, enter into sexuality. You have to do a whole lot of support work when they start having sex and need to set up a system to protect themselves, but above all to protect their partner. It is really the SAS center which is at the origin of the project, and which is carrying it out with our support, both financial and technical. »