Ukimwi na chanjo

Kirusi cha ukimwi (HIV): picha na RKM

Shamrashamra nyingi tulizisikia hivi karibuni pale watafiti wa NIH nchini Marekani walipotoa ripoti ambayo ni habari njema katika vita dhidi ya Ukimwi. Watafiti hawa wameeleza kuwa wamegundua chembechembe, yaani antibodies, zenye uwezo mkubwa wa kuzuia kirusi cha ukimwi (HIV) kuingia kwenye seli nyeupe za damu — kwa 90% — na hivyo kusitisha mazaliano ya HIV.

Pamoja na shamrashamra hizi, wengi wetu tukaanza kusikia habari potofu zikisambazwa na wanahabari Tanzania kuwa ‘Dawa ya Ukimwi yapatikana,’ na kusikia vijana wakianza kuongelea (labda kushangilia) ngono isiyo salama, πβ%ϕЖ&!!

Ukweli ni kwamba ‘dawa ya Ukimwi´ haijagunduliwa – bali huu ni mwanzo tu wa safari ndeeefu ya kufikia nia hiyo. Mwaka jana kulikuwa na mlipuko wa habari kama huu kuhusiana na chanjo ya HIV – ila angalau ile ilikuwa tayari katika utafiti wa clinical trial!

Twisheni’

  • Sote tunafahamu kuwa miili yetu hutengeneza chembechembe dhidi ya virusi, bakteria, n.k mbalimbali na hivyo kusitisha ugonjwa wanaosababisha kuanza.
  • Kirusi cha ukimwi kinauwezo wa kubadilika kwa kasi kubwa na kuzaliana kabla mwili haujatengeneza chembechembe thabiti kudhibiti mazaliano zaidi ya virusi – by the time chembechembe thabiti zikiwa tayari, kirusi nacho kinakuwa tayari kimezalisha copy nyingine nyingi tofauti (a rat race!).
  • Ripoti hii mpya inaeleza ugunduzi wa chembechembe (VRCO1 na VRCO2) zenye uwezo maradufu wa kuzuia kuzaliana kwa HIV katika maabara. Chembechembe hizi zinagundua na kubana sehemu ya kirusi isiyobadilika (isiyo mutate), kwahivyo kuzuia HIV kupenya na kuzaliana ndani ya seli nyeupe za damu.
  • Umuhimu wa ugunduzi huu umetokana na teknolojia mpya za molecular/computational/structural biology ambazo zilitumika ili ‘kuvua’ chembechembe hizi kutoka kwa wagonjwa wa ukimwi. Baada ya test kadhaa maabarani, ndipo chembechembe hizi zikaonyesha uwezo wake huo mkubwa wa kuzuia HIV.

Changamoto zilizopo sasa ni kufahamu: Je, chembechembe hizi zina uwezo wa kiasi gani kuzuia HIV katika mwili wa mnyama au binadamu? Pindi chanjo madhubuti itakapopatikana, chembechembe hizi zinaweza kuzalishwa kawaida mwilini na mtu yeyote asiyeathirika ili kumkinga na HIV? Ni kiasi gani cha chembechembe hizi zitahitajika kuzuia HIV kuzaliana mwilini kwa ajili ya matibabu ya wagonjwa (passive immunization)? Haya ni baadhi ya maswali jumuiya ya sayansi itakabiliana nayo baada ya ripoti hii. Safari bado ni ndefu, na ni miaka kadhaa mpaka tutakapoona chanjo madhubuti dhidi ya HIV. Ila, imani bado ipo.

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Ukitaka kufahamu zaidi inapendekezwa utazame video hapa chini inayoelezea umma kuhusu fani hii mpya ya utafiti wa chanjo – Retrovaccinology.

Muhtasari mzuri kuhusu uvumbuzi huu unapatikana hapa: NatureNews

Ukitaka kusoma makala halisi kuhusu uvumbuzi huu:

πβϕЖ

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Joji was born and grew up in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He graduated with a B.Sc in Biochemistry in Germany, and is now pursuing a Masters degree in Microbiology & Immunology at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich, Switzerland . Joji is particularly interested in matters related to global health, and basic science research that tackles public health challenges. He is engaged in mentoring Tanzanian students in higher education issues, most notably at the Kibaha High School. In this capacity, Joji blogs with Vijana FM about scientific research and development, and how youth can gain greater access to higher learning.

This post has 5 Comments

5
  1. I hope one day science will find the cure/vaccination for AIDS.

    However, if i look at the bigger picture, i dont see the point of this research. If its not AIDS, something else will come up. So finding the cure for AIDS wont solve anything. The root cause is unprotected sex….

    I’d rather that effort used to cure cancer and such diseases. Anyway all these diseases come as forces of nature trying to find balance.

    I’ll stop here; I guess i’m contradicting myself now…

    I applaud the scientists for their findings.

  2. I’d rather that effort used to cure cancer and such diseases. Anyway all these diseases come as forces of nature trying to find balance.

    Basi watu waache hata kutafuta dawa za saratani! It’s all about Mother Nature trying to find the balance, I guess.

    Sijui watu waliopoteza ndugu, jamaa na marafiki kwasababu ya Ukimwi watasemaje baada ya kusoma maoni yako, Bata. Au ukiona watu wanavyotaabika… Kumbuka wengine wameambukizwa na wapenzi wao ambao hawakuwa waaminifu kwenye ndoa au mahusiano. Na kuna watoto wanaoambukizwa wakati wananyonyeshwa; kutumia viwembe, miswaki, n.k. iliyotumiwa na watu walioathirika.

    Mimi nimepoteza ndugu na najua jinsi inavyouma; familia zinavunjika, wake zao wameachwa wakijua ipo siku nao mauti itawakuta na watawaacha watoto wao (ambao wengine wameathirika).

    Tulikuwa na kamjadala kwenye semina fulani miezi miwili iliyopita. Kwa kifupi tu, wahusika walikuwa wanatakiwa wawashawishi wapinzani wao ili wafanikishe utafiti wao wa kisayansi. Ishu ni hivi: wahusika walikuwa wana nafasi ya kusuluhisha mambo kwa kushirikiana, kwasababu hawatumii malighafi moja (kutoka kwenye tunda fulani).

    Sasa, kampuni moja inatengeneza dawa za saratani, na nyingine malaria. Mmoja akasema, “Kwasababu malaria ni ugonjwa mdogo tu, hawana ‘chance’ ya kushinda mjadala.” [Sikuweza kunyamaza na nilijitahidi kuwaeleza bluntly hali halisi na mawazo yao!]

    Kusema ukweli, nadhani hii ndio attitude ya watu wanaodhani saratani ni ugonjwa fulani “maalumu”; kwasababu inawaathiri wao zaidi. Hata leo ukienda sehemu ukasema wewe unafanya utafiti wa ungonjwa wa saratani, utapata heshima zaidi kuliko anayehangaika na malaria.

    Lakini ukiona jinsi watu wanaokufa kwa malaria, utabadili mawazo yako. Kwasababu mimi na wewe tunajua kuwa kuna tiba na mtu anaweza kujikinga.

    Ninachojaribu kusema ni hiki: tuwe waangalifu, kujikinga na hata kwenye mijadala kuhusu magonjwa fulani. Siwezi kuanzisha utani kuhusu “swine flu” au kuuongelea ugonjwa fulani juu juu kwasababu tu sina. Ugonjwa ni ugonjwa; na watu wanaojitolea kutafuta tiba na kinga wapewe pongezi.

    Kwa kumalizia tu, soma kuhusu historia ya ugonjwa wa kaswende… Una tiba sasa hivi na watu wanauongelea kama mafua tu. Lakini kizazi kile kilipukutishwa; watu waliumia sana, mifumo yao ya fahamu iliuwawa na wakabaki kama wafu wanaoweza kutumia mapafu yao tu.

  3. There are several diseases out there which are causing great human suffering and loss. I guess it is not the right direction if we are to start condeming research on one type of disease to the other. Cancer is a global scourge of great proportions so is AIDS, Malaria, the Flu n.k. The issue with Cancer is that in Africa there hasn’t been enough attention paid to it (availability of latest therapy options, resources, diagnostics etc) – ila ugonjwa upo, na wengi unawachukua kutokana na kuchelewa kwa diagnosis. Ukienda ulaya hawatilii maanani Malaria au Matende/Mabusha kwasababu haupatikani huko – bali utaisikia tu pale watalii wanaporudi makwao na magonjwa haya. Ndio maana haya magonjwa siku hizi yanaanza kupewa jicho jipya katika nchi zilizoendelea.

    Kumalizia, there is a point in these and other research efforts to reduce human suffering through disease.

  4. Naelewa kuwa saratani ipo Afrika.. ipo kila sehemu duniani. Na mimi binafsi nimepoteza ndugu na wazazi wa marafiki zangu.

    Ila nilichokuwa najaribu kusema ni hivi: Kama vijana tunaotakiwa kujua nini tunasema, hatuna budi kuwa waangalifu na kuacha mzaha tunapoongelea na kujadili magonjwa fulani. Leo unapita mitaa ya Tandale, unateleza na kuangukia kwenye kiwembe kilichotumiwa muda mfupi uliopita, nadhani bado utakuwa unafikiri saratani ni ugonjwa “zaidi” kuliko Ukimwi?

    Fikiria tena…

    Kwa kumalizia tu, huwa nashtushwa sana na kauli kama hizo; majanga mengine kama El Nino, tsunami, Katrina, oil spils, matetemeko ya ardhi n.k. yakitokea, basi tusisumbuke kutafuta njia za kuwapa waathirika ahueni kwasababu “Mother Nature” anafanya kazi yake.

  5. I do agree with SN and Joji’s comments. Maybe my comments were taken out of context. Diseases like AIDS, malaria and such can be controlled using preventive measures. Cancer, genetic diseaes…etc are not as easy.

    There are some cases, like rape, example given by SN….those are like 1%…the majority contract AIDS through unprotected sex, and that can be controlled/prevented/….etc.

    There are so many problems in Africa. ..if people were a bit serious…AIDS should not be as big of a problem as it is now….

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