Scientists announced the discovery of the first new subtype of HIV identified since 2000 in an article published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.
"I think a lot of people might not realize that there is more than one strain of HIV," said Mary Rodgers, who with her team at Abbott and with co-authors at the University of Missouri announced their discovery of a strain called HIV-1 Group M, subtype L.
The strain was collected in the 1980s in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but there were only two samples that could be examined via gene sequencing. A third sample was needed to confirm the discovery. In 2001, a sample that appeared to be similar was collected, but the sample was too small to be sequenced.
As with a lot of the science garnering attention, Rodgers' cold case was cracked by advanced DNA technology. With that sequencing, subtype L was confirmed as a variant of the M group of HIV viruses, which are responsible for the AIDS pandemic. "It's important for us to understand that the (test) we are using will catch this new virus," researcher Thomas Hope said.
Yogurt, fiber may cut risk of lung cancer
Fiber is the main source of prebiotics, the nondigestible foods that promote the growth of probiotics, and yogurt is a probiotic food. Scientists suspect that a healthy microbiome may explain the link.
The study, in JAMA Oncology, pooled data from 10 studies involving more than 1.4 million adults. Compared with people in the lowest one-fifth for fiber intake, those in the highest had a 17% lower risk of lung cancer. People who ate the most yogurt — 3 to 4 ounces a day — were 19% less likely to develop lung cancer than those who ate none. People with both the highest fiber and highest yogurt intake had a 33% reduced risk compared with those who consumed the least.
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