HIV infection may trigger a muscle disease similar to the one that struck
down baseball star Lou Gehrig and afflicts British physicist Stephen Hawking.
The discovery adds weight to the theory that unknown viruses are to
blame for both diseases, and raises hopes that vaccines or antiviral drugs could
reverse its devastating effects.
Lou Gehrig’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), gradually
destroys the nerves that control muscles. The symptoms begin with muscle pain or
stiffness, slurred speech and difficulty swallowing, but progress rapidly. Most
patients die within five years, when the nerves that support breathing are
knocked out.
Antoine…
