Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) originated in West Africa, with the first confirmed case being recorded in 1959. The virus slowly spread across Africa and then, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, exploded throughout other parts of the world. HIV is the underlying cause of AIDS, a disease that attacks the immune system, and is passed from person to person through contact with bodily fluids. As AIDS progresses, individuals become less able to ward off infections and fall prey to a variety of diseases and infections that normally are easily fought off by the body. Among the common diseases initially associated with AIDS was Kaposi's sarcoma, a cancer that can affect both internal organs and the skin. Victims also began showing up at emergency rooms with a variety of flu-like symptoms and an unusual form of pneumonia known as pneumocystis. Health officials initially thought the disease was limited to homosexual men living in large metropolitan areas. But, they quickly discovered that both hemophiliacs and heterosexual intravenous drug users were also being infected. A French physician, Luc Montagnier, initially discovered that the underlying cause of AIDS was a retrovirus.,This was a major breakthrough, allowing other scientists to develop treatments, and AZT became the first drug approved to fight AIDS. The development of 3TC was a significant development, especially because of its fewer side effects, and it became a major force in the fight against AIDS.

At the time 3TC was developed, AZT was the only available treatment for AIDS. But, over 90 percent of those patients treated with AZT developed a resistance to it within the first year of treatment - and experienced significant damage to their immune systems. In developing 3TC, Nguyen-Ga and Belleau developed a treatment that would fight AIDS, but avoid the side effects of severe pain, bone marrow destruction, and anemia. 3TC works by preventing the HIV retrovirus from altering the cell's genetic structure. This retards the spread of AIDS within the body, as new cells are no longer susceptible. Though 3TC doesn't repair the damage already done to existing cells, it offers widespread protection to the remaining uninfected cells. Best of all, it achieves this without the debilitating side effects patients had previously experienced. 3TC proved to be even more effective when combined with lower doses of AZT. This combination was the first "cocktail" treatment to fight against AIDS.

Introduction by Tim Anderson

Table of Contents

Key Insight

Key Experiments or Research

Quotes by the Scientist

Quotes About the Scientist

Anecdotes

Fun Trivia About the Science

Personal Information

Scientific Discovery Timeline

Recommended Books About the Science

Books by the Scientist

Books About the Scientist

Awards

Major Academic Papers Written by the Scientist

Curriculum Vitae

Sources/References