• Shitake mushrooms may be effective in inhibiting HIV-1 replicationImage by Flickr.com, courtesy of Richie Diesterheft
  
  

Significance

• According to AVERT worldwide statistics, more than 30 million people are currently living with HIV/AIDS.
  
  

Features

• Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) is an ancient and continually evolving health care system that employs an holistic and preventative approach to human health and illness.
  
  

Types

• Some CHM remedies used by HIV patients include reishi, shitake and maitake mushrooms and Qian-Kun-Nin, a Chinese herbal formulation.
  
  

Considerations

• Although the Cochrane Collaboration cautions that more rigorous research into the safety and efficacy of treating HIV illness with CHM is needed, pilot and small-scale studies with Chinese herbs show potential for improving patient quality of life, reducing some of the negative side effects of standard HAART therapies and inhibiting HIV replication.
  
  

Effects

• According to the November 2007 "Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology," Qian-Kun-Nin (Scutellaria baicalensis) was effective at reducing gastrointestinal dysfunction caused by the HIV drug Ritonavir in rats.
  
  Additionally, the journal "Life Sciences" reported in November 2003 that a protein isolated from shitake mushrooms demonstrated effectiveness at inhibiting replication of the HIV-1 virus.