Doctors combine math and medicine to fight HIV

A professor and student from Princeton University’s engineering and applied science program have joined with researchers at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Medicine to apply mathematics to the development of new treatments for HIV and other diseases.

Mathematical optimization theory and computational biology have helped to minimize the time and resources it takes for researchers to identify the most important peptides in existing HIV drugs. Identifying these chains of amino acids may allow scientists to create a more potent and less expensive medication than those that are currently available.

Drugs containing shorter peptides could possibly be taken orally as pills in the future, according to AIDSmeds.com.

The Food and Drug Administration currently approves more than 30 antiretroviral drugs for the treatment of HIV, along with generic forms and other therapies.

All that is needed for HIV testing is a blood sample, and rapid tests usually take less than two hours, although results must also be confirmed by a supplementary test.

Any person who believes that they may have contracted an HIV infection can consider using online HIV and sexually transmitted disease testing services.