Liz Highleyman

San Francisco

Medical Journalist and Editor at Freelance

Science Editor at Cancer Health

Science Editor at POZ

Articles

Psilocybin Has Long-Term Benefits for Cancer Patients With Depression

2 days ago | cancerhealth.com | Liz Highleyman

A single dose of psilocybin—the psychoactive compound in “magic mushrooms”—administered along with psychological support continued to relieve depression and anxiety for two years in a small study of cancer patients with major depressive disorder, according to findings described in the journal Cancer, published by the American Cancer Society.
Novel mRNA Technology Coaxes HIV Out of Hiding

3 days ago | poz.com | Liz Highleyman

Researchers have found a way to deliver messenger RNA (mRNA) to latently infected CD4 T cells in the laboratory and coax inactive HIV out of hiding, an approach that could potentially be used for functional cure therapies, according to study results reported in Nature Communications.
What’s in the Pipeline for HIV?

5 days ago | poz.com | Liz Highleyman

The evolution of HIV treatment is among the most remarkable success stories in medical history. From handfuls of pills taken multiple times a day to injections administered just twice a year, antiretroviral therapy has come a long way. Today’s HIV treatment regimens are highly effective and generally well tolerated. What’s more, most people can take a single once-daily pill—similar to taking a statin to manage high cholesterol. But the quest for new longer-acting options continues.
Concerns: Cardiovascular Risk

5 days ago | poz.com | Liz Highleyman

Associations between BMI, excess abdominal fat and cardiovascular disease risk in people with viral suppression on antiretroviral therapy Body mass index (BMI)—a ratio of weight to height—may be a poor measure of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk for people with HIV, underscoring the importance of more comprehensive screening.
Cure: T-Cell Engager

5 days ago | poz.com | Liz Highleyman

HIV virus particles (purple) budding and replicating from an H9 T cell (green) NIAID In a Phase I/II STRIVE trial, IMC-M113V, an experimental bispecific T-cell engager, was generally safe and well tolerated. Immunocore’s IMC-M113V, an experimental bispecific T-cell engager, may help enable long-term HIV remission.
Funding Cuts Could Increase HIV Cases

5 days ago | poz.com | Liz Highleyman

New HIV diagnoses rose by about 1,000 cases nationwide in 2023, according to the latest surveillance report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But these data precede the Trump administration’s recent federal health cuts, and advocates fear that numbers will rise further in the future. Given recent disruptions at the CDC, the fate of this year’s national HIV surveillance update was uncertain, but the agency released key findings in April.
Gender-Affirming Care Linked to Better HIV Outcomes

5 days ago | poz.com | Liz Highleyman

Transgender and nonbinary people who receive gender-affirming hormone therapy may be less likely to acquire HIV and more likely to achieve viral suppression if they do, according to a recent study. In recent years, researchers have made progress in understanding outcomes among trans people living with or at risk for HIV, but political shifts could put further advances in jeopardy.
Can HIV Treatment Lower Cancer Risk?

5 days ago | poz.com | Liz Highleyman

People with HIV who maintain or regain an adequate CD4 T-cell count on antiretroviral treatment are less likely to develop cancer, according to a recent study. Cancer is a growing concern as the HIV population ages. It is well known that people with advanced immune deficiency have an elevated risk for AIDS-defining malignancies, but even less severe impairment can reduce the immune system’s ability to fight cancer.
Prevention: New PEP Options

5 days ago | poz.com | Liz Highleyman

The new guidelines emphasize the importance of starting PEP within 24 hours of exposure if possible. In May, the CDC issued updated guidance for non-occupational HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)—the first revision since 2016—which now includes more modern antiretrovirals.
Clinical Trials

5 days ago | poz.com | Liz Highleyman

Everything we know about HIV prevention, treatment and the potential for a cure comes from research involving people at risk for or living with the virus. Joining a clinical trial can be a good way to access new therapies and contribute to science, but it’s important to weigh the pros and cons. Clinical trials are a key part of the multistep process for testing new prevention, treatment or cure approaches.

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Liz Highleyman @LizHighleyman

13 Jun 25

"Don’t be surprised if Kennedy’s NIH cuts lead to an epic shift of medical research toward Big Pharma funding — precisely the opposite of what he says he wants." https://t.co/FURolzu65M

Liz Highleyman @LizHighleyman

13 Jun 25

Medicare Advantage is a scam. It's private insurance. They never should have been allowed to give it the same name as the public program. https://t.co/rDfQ84hqIQ

Liz Highleyman @LizHighleyman

13 Jun 25

No matter how bad things are, they can always get worse…😕