IMOD (herbal extract) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

IMOD is the name of an herbal drug

Drug

A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...

that, according to Iran

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

ian scientists, protects those already infected by HIV

HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...

from the spread of AIDS

AIDS

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...

by strengthening the immune system

Immune system

An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...

. Though there is a class of real drugs called immunomodulator

Immunomodulator

An immunomodulator, also known as an immunotherapy is a substance which has an effect on the immune system.- Immunosuppressants :Inhibits immune response in organ transplantation and autoimmune diseases.- Immunostimulants :...

s, which includes treatments such as interferon

Interferon

Interferons are proteins made and released by host cells in response to the presence of pathogens—such as viruses, bacteria, or parasites—or tumor cells. They allow communication between cells to trigger the protective defenses of the immune system that eradicate pathogens or tumors.IFNs belong to...

s and interleukin

Interleukin

Interleukins are a group of cytokines that were first seen to be expressed by white blood cells . The term interleukin derives from "as a means of communication", and "deriving from the fact that many of these proteins are produced by leukocytes and act on leukocytes"...

s that are effective against a variety of diseases, no evidence has yet been put forward about IMOD's efficacy that can be objectively tested or reviewed

Peer review

Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...

by scientists outside Iran. It has been discussed in the medical literature by JJ Amon of Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...

as an example of unproven AIDS cures.

IMOD was made public in February 2007 during Iran's planned "Great Achievements" announcements. IMOD, developed by a Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n scientist and tested by the Iranian Research Center for HIV/AIDS, consists of seven "completely native" Iranian herb

Herb

Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...

s and was tested by the Iranian Research Center for HIV/AIDS. The medicine has been approved and announced by the Iranian Ministry of Health.

According to Iran, the drug took five years to develop and has been tested on 200 patients. Widespread testing to measure its efficacy has been promised by Iran.

The drug's claimed effect is to control or reduce the spread of HIV infection in the human body, and secondarily to control the infection by the virus. Iranian Health Minister Kamran Baqeri Lankarani is quoted as saying "The herbal-made medication, we call it IMOD, serves to rein the AIDS virus and redouble the body’s immunity. It is not a medication to completely kill the virus, it can be used besides other anti-retroviral drugs. The drug is that effective and safe with no proved side effects."

All news coverage concerning IMOD has cited the Fars News Agency

Fars News Agency

Fars News Agency is a news agency in Iran. While it describes itself as "Iran's leading independent news agency", news organizations such as CNN and Reuters describe it as a "semi-official" news agency with ties to the government...

as the origin of any information concerning IMOD. The Fars News Agency is affiliated with Iran's judiciary. Though it reported on IMOD, the less-credible Mehr News Agency

Mehr News Agency

The isan Iranian news agency headquartered in Tehran, owned by the .Established in July 2003, MNA is the most multilingual news agency in the Islamic Republic of Iran and its’ CEO and Director General is currently Reza Moghadasi....

is rarely cited due to its affiliation with Iran's Islamic Propagation Organization

Important Notes: Nowadays increasing access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a critical goal endorsed by the United Nations and all of its member states. At the same time, anecdotal accounts suggest that the promotion of unproven AIDS 'cures' and remedies are widespread, and in the case of The Gambia, Iran and South Africa, have been promoted by governments directly.

External links

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