Homeopathic medicines have been found to be effective in checking the growth of certain infections in HIV positive patients by improving their immune system, a senior researcher claimed on Wednesday.

"In a study carried out on 100 patients in terminal stages of AIDS, homeopathic medicines proved to be useful in improving or maintaining immune system of about 50 per cent of the people," Dr Nirupama Mishra, Research Officer at Regional Research Institute for Homeopathy, Mumbai [Images], told PTI.

The homeopathic drugs were effective in various viral infections such as influenza, mumps, measles and chicken pox but the therapeutic efficacy in retroviral infections needs to be evaluated, Mishra, who was in the national capital to attend silver jubilee celebrations of Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, said.

However, the drugs "could not cure" the disease, she said, adding the patients were put on healthy diet to develop
resistance to infections.

"The study aimed at improving the immune response of the patients through homeopathic drugs. As many as 37 people
showed improvement, the status remained unchanged in 12 cases, 51 people showed no improvement," she said.

The duration of the treatment is between two and 14 years, Mishra said.