Why it’s so hard to cure HIV/AIDS - Janet Iwasa

Enduku HIV/AIDS nayam cheyadam kashtam?- Janet Iwasa

Translator: rohith seelamsetty Reviewer: Samrat Sridhara

In 2008, something incredible happened: a man was cured of HIV.

2008 lo,vinthaga oka manishi HIV nunchi bayatapaddadu

In over 70 million HIV cases, that was a first and, so far, a last.

70 million paiga HIV rogullo, adhe modatidi...chivaridi

We don't yet understand exactly how he was cured.

manaku inka athanu ela nayamayyado telidu

We can cure people of various diseases, such as malaria and hepatitis C,

Malaria,Hepatitis C laanti rogalni nayam cheyagalam

so why can't we cure HIV?

mari HIV enduku nayam kadhu?

Well, first let's examine how HIV infects people

modataga HIV ela manushulaku soki

and progresses into AIDS.

AIDS ga parinamistundi ani

HIV spreads through exchanges of bodily fluids.

HIV manishi saririka rasayanala valla sankramistundhi

Unprotected sex and contaminated needles are the leading cause of transmission.

rakshanalekunda samparkinchadam, vadesina sudulu diniki karnam

It, fortunately, cannot spread through air, water, or casual contact.

aite Gali, Niru, mamulu sparsalavalla pakadhu

Individuals of any age, sexual orientation, gender and race

vayassu, jati inka linga bedalu lekunda

can contract HIV.

HIV ki gurikavochu

Once inside the body, HIV infects cells that are part of the immune system.

oka sari sokite, HIV sarira rakshana vyavasthanu debbateestundi

It particularly targets helper T cells,

adi mukayanga 'T Cells' pai dadichestundi

which help defend the body against bacterial and fungal infections.

T cells, rogalni nivarinchatamlo sariraniki sahayapadatayi

HIV is a retrovirus,

HIV retrovirus anamata

which means it can write its genetic code into the genome of infected cells,

ante avi vaati janyu sanketalni HIV sokina kanaala Janyuvullo pravesapedatayi

co-opting them into making more copies of itself.

ilanti vyadigrastha kanaala punarutpatti chendela prerepistundi

During the first stage of HIV infection,

HIV sokina modati dasalo,

the virus replicates within helper T cells,

virus 'T cells' lo punarutpatti chendutundi

destroying many of them in the process.

e prasa lo 'T Cells' maranistayi

During this stage, patients often experience flu-like symptoms,

e dasalo rogullo flu vanti vyadhula lakshanalu gocharistayi

but are typically not yet in mortal danger.

kani pranalaki pramadham ledhu

However, for a period ranging from a few months to several years,

kani,konni nelalu,samvatsarallo

during which time the patient may look and feel completely healthy,

rogi pushtiga unnattu kanapadina

the virus continues to replicate and destroy T cells.

virus 'T cells' ni nasinam chestuntundi

When T cell counts drop too low,

T cells sankhya tagginappudu

patients are in serious danger of contracting deadly infections

rogulu pedha rogalaki guri avtharu mamuluga aite

that healthy immune systems can normally handle.

manushula roganirodhaka vyvastha vitini edurkontayi

This stage of HIV infection is known as AIDS.

HIV sankramanam yokka ee dasanu ni AIDS antaru

The good news is there are drugs that are highly effective

urata entatnte HIV sthayini niyantrinchi

at managing levels of HIV

'T Cells' sankhya padipokunda chusi

and preventing T cell counts from getting low enough

AIDS daaka parinaminchakunda

for the disease to progress to AIDS.

chuse aushadaalu unnayi

With antiretroviral therapy,

antiretroviral chikitsa dwara,

most HIV-positive people can expect to live long and healthy lives,

HIV sokina vallu arogyavantamaina jivitanni pondagalaru..ilati vari nunchi

and are much less likely to infect others.

vere vallaki vyapinche avakasalu taggutayi

However, there are two major catches.

kani, rendu vishyalu gamaninchali

One is that HIV-positive patients must keep taking their drugs

okati,HIV sokina vallu maatralu

for the rest of their lives.

valla jivitantam vaadutune undali

Without them, the virus can make a deadly comeback.

lenicho, vyaadhi malli thiragabettavachu

So, how do these drugs work?

E maatralu ela pani chesthayi?

The most commonly prescribed ones prevent the viral genome from being copied

Ivi rogi yokka ganyu-sanketallo marpurakunda, leda

and incorporated into a host cell's DNA.

marpuchendanikunda chustundi

Other drugs prevent the virus from maturing or assembling,

Leda virus ni paripakvam leda sameekarinchakunda

causing HIV to be unable to infect new cells in the body.

HIV ni kota kanaalaku pakanikunda chustayi

But HIV hides out somewhere our current drugs cannot reach it:

kani HIV arogyavantamaina 'T Cells'

inside the DNA of healthy T cells.

yokka DNA lo maruguna untundi

Most T cells die shortly after being infected with HIV.

sadaranamga chala T cells HIV sokina taravata chanipotayi

But in a tiny percentage,

kani bahu konnitlo,

the instructions for building more HIV viruses lies dormant,

HIV vyapthinchakunda maruguna untundi

sometimes for years.

konni sarlu samvatsarala varaku kuda

So even if we could wipe out every HIV virus from an infected person's body,

Ala rogi nunchi HIV Virus ni purtiga teesesina

one of those T cells could activate and start spreading the virus again.

Edo oka T cell malla kriyasilanam chendi roganna vyaptistundi

The other major catch is that not everyone in the world has access to the therapies

Rendavadi prapamchamlo andariki chikitsa sadupayalu

that could save their lives.

andubatulo levu. Prapancha HIV

In Sub-Saharan Africa, which accounts for over 70% of HIV patients worldwide,

rogullo 70% Africa loni sub Saharan edari lo nivasistunnaru

antiretrovirals reached only about one in three HIV-positive patients in 2012.

kani 2012 lo 3 lo okarike e mandhulu cherayi

There is no easy answer to this problem.

ee samasyaki sulabha samadhanam ledu

A mix of political, economic and cultural barriers

Raajakiya, ardhika, samskruthika avarodhalu, HIVni samardanga

makes effective prevention and treatment difficult.

nivarinche prakriyaku addugodalu

And even in the U.S., HIV still claims more than 10,000 lives per year.

Agrarajyam U.S. lo yeta HIV valla 10,000 mandi chanipotunnaru

However, there is ample cause for hope.

kani, paristhithi nayam kavadaniki avakasaalu mendu

Researchers may be closer than ever to developing a true cure.

Roganni harinche maatranu sastravethalu kanipettochu

One research approach involves

Oka parisodana prakriyalo

using a drug to activate all cells harboring the HIV genetic information.

avushadamto HIV nidraana avasthalo dagunna anni kanaalni melkolpi

This would both destroy those cells and flush the virus out into the open,

bayata padela chesi, ippudunna

where our current drugs are effective.

matralato nayam cheyadam

Another is looking to use genetic tools

inkoti janyu paddatullo rogi janyu sanketallo

to cut the HIV DNA out of cells genomes altogether.

HIV DNA ni poortiga tolaginchadam

And while one cure out of 70 million cases may seem like terrible odds,

kani 70 million cases lo oke okatti nayam aina; sunna kante okati

one is immeasurably better than zero.

ento uratani, asani, dhairyannistundi

We now know that a cure is possible,

manaku nivarana undani telisindi, tadvaara HIV ni

and that may give us what we need to beat HIV for good.

odinche margam telustundani asiddam.