Cyclodextrin As A Therapeutic “Drug” For HIV AIDS, Niemann Pick Type C and other Viruses

Addi and Cassi’s first round of cyclodextrin infusions have been going smoothly at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nevada.   We’re now into our third day of continuous infusions of hydroxy propel beta cyclodextrin (HPBCD) into the girls’ bloodstreams and they don’t seem to be experiencing any negative side effects.    I feel as if it’s having a positive and immediate effect.  Addi was talking yesterday afternoon and stringing together more than one word — “I like my toys, I’m brave enough, I need your help, “Bye” to Dr. Hastings, and “Ad” for her name Addison.  Even Cassi came out with a few words - “Mommy, No.”     This is quite encouraging to us but we’re not yet sure if it’s a result of the cyclodextrin treatment.

Addi and Cassi’s blood work-ups have come back “normal” following the cyclodextrin infusions.  There was a slight elevation in both girls’ eosinophils after 24 hours but it was minor.   We also had to change Addi’s port access needle as it was not working properly and we were unable to draw blood.   Unfortunately, we had to re-install the needle on her chest without any numbing cream.  Ouch!

I found out this morning that researchers were looking at the same cyclodextrin (HPBCD) and Niemann Pick Type C disease back in 1996 — 13 years ago!   I received this information from a scientist in Europe and I almost had a heart attack when I read the scientific abstract.

Somehow cyclodextrin research as it relates to Niemann Pick Type C was not thoroughly pursued with all angles exhausted by scientists.   This simply can not happen again — not only for Niemann Pick Type C disease but for HIV/AIDS and potentially other viruses like Herpes that are inactivated and killed by cyclodextrin.

I worry about the future of cyclodextrin research.  We can’t count on pharmaceutical companies to research cyclodextrin or bring therapeutic products with cyclodextrin to people as they are focused on profits and patents on new drugs that take millions of dollars and years to make.   Cyclodextrin is an inexpensive and non-toxic compound that can be deployed tomorrow — far too EASY!   But the HIV/AIDS pharma companies should be watching cyclodextrin very closely.  I believe the smart ones will start investing into research and try and create new patents around cyclodextrin since the Niemann Pick Type C cholesterol gene/protein on Chromosome 18 is the culprit in HIVs ability to assemble itself in the human body.

It’s time that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of AIDS Research or the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention or some other government agency steps in and redirects money into cyclodextrin research to study this potentially life-saving compound that has very broad applications.

I am also asking for help from private citizens and global foundations such as The Gates Foundation, The Clinton Foundation, Elton John AIDS Foundation, amfAR and One.org to step in and help by taking a closer look at cyclodextrin and it’s relationship to cholesterol metabolism and killer viruses like HIV/AIDS.   We must make sure cyclodextrin is properly tested as a therapeutic agent whether money can be made from it or not (which is can be!)

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