Research at Golden Soy LLC organizes around developing immune modulating drugs and therapies to combat diseases in three areas: infectious, autoimmune, and cancer. Medicinal Plant Research: Identification, analysis and isolation of immune-active small compounds from plants, Currently, the firm is working on development of new plant-derived immune - based therapeutics for treatment of infectious diseases such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The occurrence of the HIV and its progression to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) continues to be a major health problem worldwide. AIDS is characterized by progressive loss of the CD4+ helper T lymphocytes leading to severe immune suppression, opportunistic infections and death. According to the World Health Organization, there are over 30 million people worldwide living with HIV in 2007, of which, an estimated 1.2 million HIV-infected people reside in North America. Twenty-five million people have died as a result of AIDS-related complications since the AIDS epidemic begins (UNAIDS, 2008); 90% of all AIDS deaths happen to people under the age of 50, and the majority of HIV infections related to AIDS cases occurs before the age of 35 (UNAIDS, 2008). If the number of new HIV infections can be reduced or their progression to AIDS can be prevented, many lives can be saved. There is scientific evidence that plant components can stimulate the human immune system and effect HIV replication /1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9/. Considering the fact that billions of people globally depend on herbal preparations for the control of disease, these plants, and their immune-active compounds, that could be further developed as immune modulating drugs against HIV, need to be identified.
