AIDS Weekly articles from March 1995

AIDS Weekly archives from March 1995

ACTG urged to collect data on HIV dynamics. (AIDS Clinical Trial Group)
March 13, 1995... The design of AIDS clinical trials should incorporate new insights into HIV pathogenesis, according to researcher George Shaw of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Studies independently published earlier this year (1995) by Shaw and...

Macrophage-tropic virus linked to transplacental transmission.
March 13, 1995... Monkey studies suggest that macrophage-tropic HIV can cross the placental barrier and infect a fetus, according to a report at the Nineteenth AIDS Clinical Trial Group (ACTG) Meeting, held February 18-22, 1995, in Washington, D.C. In a plenary...

Valacyclovir study stopped by safety board.
March 13, 1995... A safety monitoring board halted clinical trials of a powerful new antiherpes drug when preliminary data showed that drug recipients had significantly poorer survival than those receiving standard medication. The new drug, valacyclovir, is a...

Three response markers predict outcome of AZT therapy.
March 13, 1995... A combination of three response markers evaluated after seven to 12 months of zidovudine therapy can dramatically increase prognostic certainty for patients with intermediate-stage HIV disease, according to a report from the AIDS Clinical Trials...

Increases in CD4+ T cells in HIV infected people reported.
March 13, 1995... In a small number of HIV infected patients, infusions of an immune system protein significantly increased levels of white blood cells normally destroyed during HIV infection, according to researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and...

IVDUs in prisons should be targeted for AIDS prevention. (intravenous drug users)
March 13, 1995... Public information campaigns appear to be lowering HIV infection among intravenous drug users in the general population, but there is currently no effective way of dealing with HIV transmission among intravenous drug users in prisons, according...

Fact sheets to help fight HIV.
March 13, 1995... In yet another effort to battle the spread of HIV, researchers said they have developed HIV prevention fact sheets that should prove useful to doctors, policymakers, legislators and research funding agencies. Combining behavioral research...

Targeting those with mental illness needed.
March 13, 1995... Severely mentally ill men and women suffer disproportionately high rates of HIV infection and AIDS, in part because these individuals generally misjudge their risk. These findings are drawn from a study funded by the U.S. National Institutes...

U.S. trial begun with VX-478 to treat HIV.
March 13, 1995... Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Burroughs Wellcome Company announced that a Phase I clinical trial has begun in the United States with VX-478, a novel, orally administered protease inhibitor designed by Vertex...

FDA approves BARR Laboratories' generic AZT.
March 13, 1995... Barr Laboratories Inc., Pomona, New York, announced that it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to manufacture and market zidovudine (AZT) capsules, the generic equivalent of Burroughs Wellcome's Retrovir, for the...

Inter-company collaboration for AIDS therapies.
March 13, 1995... In April 1993, fifteen pharmaceutical companies agreed to collaborate to facilitate - through the sharing of information and drug supplies - the conduct of early combination and comparative studies of antiviral agents for the treatment of HIV...

Russia media gives AIDS support.
March 13, 1995... Russia and the other former Soviet republics have deported 452 foreigners who have AIDS, the ITAR-Tass news agency quoted Russian health officials as saying. The announcement came as Russia's parliament is considering controversial legislation...

Judge blocks needle exchange. (James Ford)
March 13, 1995... Sacramento County, California's attempt to create a legal needle exchange program to combat the spread of HIV was blocked by the courts. Superior Court Judge James Ford threw out the program and said it violated state law banning such swaps....

B6 deficiency linked to increased psychological stress.
March 13, 1995... Investigators at the University of Miami (UM) School of Medicine have found that the lack of vitamin B6 is related to increases in psychological distress, especially depressive symptoms. These results, presented at the annual meeting of the...

Life improved for AIDS and chronically ill patients.
March 13, 1995... "Many AIDS patients who suffer from malnutrition can see a dramatic improvement in their health through proper nutrition intervention," says Dr. Mitchell V. Kaminski Jr., a Chicago, Illinois, physician, who is board-certified in general surgery...

Recombinant GP120SF2 involved in AIDS-related dementia.
March 13, 1995... HIV-1 recombinant glycoproteins can upregulate at least two known neurotoxic cytokines, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-(alpha), which may injure neural cells and contribute to the neuropathology observed in AIDS dementia patients....

Cause of neutropenia not predictive of outcome in HIV.
March 13, 1995... The cause of neutropenia in HIV seropositive patients is not predictive of outcome of fever and neutropenic episodes, but clinical presentation of patients and concomitant illness is, according to a report from the University of California....

Dapsone/pyrimethamine may prevent mycobacterial disease.
March 13, 1995... A therapeutic regimen of dapsone and pyrimethamine may prevent tuberculosis and other mycobacterial diseases in those with HIV infection, according to a multicenter report from Europe. Based on the results of two prospective studies, a...

AMB shows efficacy in AIDS related cryptococcosis. (amphotericin B)
March 13, 1995... An aggressive approach to the primary treatment of cryptococcosis in AIDS patients, with the administration of a relatively high dose of amphotericin B for a relatively short period, is effective and well tolerated. Cryptococcosis is the most...

Thalidomide useful in HIV related aphthous ulceration.
March 13, 1995... Thalidomide appeared to effectively treat refractory aphthous ulceration in HIV infected patients and did not appear to induce adverse immunologic effects in a study conducted by researchers from Australia. Thalidomide has been used to treat...

AIDS patients try experiment.
March 13, 1995... A radiator sucked all the blood from the unconscious AIDS patient, heating it to 114 degrees. The man's blood pressure plummeted and his heart raced to 180 beats a minute as the blood streamed back through his organs. That normally would be...

In vitro activity of GEM 91 against diverse clinical isolates of HIV-1.(Research Report)
March 13, 1995... According to an abstract presented by the authors to the 2nd National Conference on Human Retroviruses and Related Infections, held January 29 - February 2, 1995, in Washington, DC, "GEM 91 is an antisense phosphorothioate complementary to a...

Production of infectious virus by rabbit cells transfected with cloned HIV-1(Research Report)
March 13, 1995... According to an abstract presented by the authors to the 2nd National Conference on Human Retroviruses and Related Infections, held January 29 - February 2, 1995, in Washington, DC, "Rabbit cell lines infected with HIV-1, do not produce virus at...

Failure to generate HIV-1 resistance in vitro to the antisense therapeutic agent GEM 91.(Research Report)
March 13, 1995... According to an abstract presented by the authors to the 2nd National Conference on Human Retroviruses and Related Infections, held January 29 - February 2, 1995, in Washington, DC, "GEM 91 is an antisense phosphorothioate complementary to the...

Inhibition of HIV-1 replication in long-term marrow cultures expressing anti-HIV-1 genes.(Research Report)
March 13, 1995... According to an abstract presented by the authors to the 2nd National Conference on Human Retroviruses and Related Infections, held January 29 - February 2, 1995, in Washington, DC, "We determined the ability of a number of anti-HIV-1 genes to...

New fungal infections in Western Pacific.(Research Report)
March 13, 1995... According to an abstract submitted by the authors to the 4th Western Pacific Congress on Chemotherapy and Infectious Diseases, held December 4-7, 1994, in Manila, Philippines, "Following the HIV/AIDS epidemic, incidence of systemic fungal...

NNRTI subgroups defined by mutations in the HIV-1 RT: implications for therapy.(Research Report)
March 13, 1995... According to an abstract presented by the authors to the 2nd National Conference on Human Retroviruses and Related Infections, held January 29 - February 2, 1995, in Washington, DC, "We have recently reported the identification and analysis of...

Adeno-associated virus mediated delivery of anti-HIV-1 genes by transduction or trasfection - integration and efficiency studies.(Research Report)
March 13, 1995... According to an abstract presented by the authors to the 2nd National Conference on Human Retroviruses and Related Infections, held January 29 - February 2, 1995, in Washington, DC, "The ability of wild type Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) to...

Long-term follow-up of blood donors with indeterminate human immunodeficiency virus type 1 results on western blot. (reprinted from Transfusion, February 1995)(Periodical Report)(Abstract)
March 13, 1995... According to the authors' abstract of an article published in Transfusion, "BACKGROUND: At present, tens of thousands of United States blood donors who are at low risk for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection are indefinitely...

Time course of detection of viral and serologic markers preceding human immunodeficiency virus type 1 seroconversion: implications for screening of blood and tissue donors. (reprinted from Transfusion, February 1995)(Periodical Report)(Abstract)
March 13, 1995... According to the authors' abstract of an article published in Transfusion, "BACKGROUND: Almost all human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission via blood or tissues that has occurred since anti-HIV screening was implemented in 1985 is...

Effect of point mutations on the kinetics and the inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 protease: relationship to drug resistance. (reprinted from Biochemistry, January 31, 1995)(Periodical Report)(Abstract)
March 13, 1995... According to the authors' abstract of an article published in Biochemistry, "Mutations of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease at four positions, Val(82), Asp(30), Gly(48), and Lys(45) were analyzed for the resulting effects on...

Intracellular immunization of human fetal cord blood stem progenitor cells with a ribozyme against human immunodeficiency virus type 1. (reprinted from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, January 31, 1995)(Periodical Report)(Abstract)
March 13, 1995... According to the authors' abstract of an article published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, "Successful treatment of human immunodeficiency virus infection may ultimately require targeting of...

Local and global structural properties of the HIV-MN V3 loop. (reprinted from the Journal of Biological Chemistry, February 3, 1995)(Periodical Report)(Abstract)
March 13, 1995... According to the authors' abstract of an article published in Journal of Biological Chemistry, "Studies of the feasibility of a subunit vaccine to protect against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have principally focused on the third...

Increasing prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus infection among patients attending a clinic for sexually transmitted diseases. (reprinted from the Indian Journal of Medical Research, January 1995)(Periodical Report)(Abstract)
March 13, 1995... According to the authors' abstract of an article published in Indian Journal of Medical Research, "Of 5883 patients screened during 1986 to 1993 in the sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinic at a hospital in Vellore, south India, 105 (1.79%)...

Alcohol abuse and HIV infection have additive effects on frontal cortex function as measured by auditory evoked potential P3A latency. (reprinted from Biological Psychiatry, February 1, 1995)(Periodical Report)(Abstract)
March 13, 1995... According to the authors' abstract of an article published in Biological Psychiatry, "Both alcohol and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have been shown to produce central nervous system (CNS) morbidity in frontal brain regions. The...

Rational suicide reconsidered - AIDS as an impetus for change. (reprinted from Death Studies, January-February 1995)(Periodical Report)(Abstract)
March 13, 1995... According to the author's abstract of an article published in Death Studies, "At the present time, there does not appear to be an acceptable alternative to intervening to prevent the suicide of persons who display suicidal ideation. This...

AIDS vaccines heading in wrong direction, says NCI researcher. (National Cancer Institute; Gene Shearer)(Second International Conference on Engineered Vaccines for Cancer and AIDS)
March 20, 1995... AIDS vaccine approaches that focus on stimulating high titers of antibodies ignore what little is known about the correlates of immunity to HIV, according to a leading researcher at the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI). In an address to...

Anti-CD4-idiotype therapeutic HIV vaccine shows promise in clinical trial.(Second International Conference on Engineered Vaccines for Cancer and AIDS)
March 20, 1995... HIV-infected participants in a German Phase II clinical trial of a therapeutic HIV vaccine achieved significant increases in CD4 counts, according to preliminary findings announced at the Second International Conference on Engineered Vaccines for...

Engineered peptide vaccines for cancer and AIDS.(Second International Conference on Engineered Vaccines for Cancer and AIDS)
March 20, 1995... Peptides genetically engineered to elicit both cell- and antibody- mediated immune responses are now entering AIDS and cancer vaccine trials, according to a report by NCI researcher Jay A Berzofsky at the Second International Conference on...

Still room for improved safety of plasma products.
March 20, 1995... The continuing surveillance regarding viral safety is needed for all coagulation factor products, both plasma derived and recombinant, stated Pier Mannucci, M.D., Angelo Bianchi Bonomi Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center, University of Milan, Italy,...

Study of HIV and twins approved by panel. (Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee)
March 20, 1995... Federal scientists plan to inject genetically altered blood cells from healthy identical twins into siblings infected with HIV to determine if the disease can be slowed. The study involves inserting a gene that blocks HIV into the donated...

Strong link between HIV and TB seen in Philippines. (tuberculosis)
March 20, 1995... There is a strong association between HIV infection and tuberculosis (TB) in the Philippines where the incidence of TB is on the rise. This finding was made public at the 4th Western Pacific Congress on Chemotherapy and Infectious Diseases,...

Retinoic acid receptor activation inhibits cell proliferation. (Kaposi's sarcoma)
March 20, 1995... Researchers provide scientific basis for further consideration of retinoids as potential therapeutic agents for AIDS-Kaposi's sarcoma (AIDS-KS). Wei-Xing Guo et al. from the University of Montreal and the Norris Cancer Center, UCLA, studied...

Red Cross settles suit over tainted blood.
March 20, 1995... The American Red Cross has agreed to a settlement in a lawsuit over an HIV contaminated blood transfusion which occurred in 1984. Terms of the settlement have not been disclosed but the Tennessean Nashville reported it is believed to be more...

Host and viral factors important in long-term survival.
March 20, 1995... The fact that large numbers of HIV-positive people remain free of illness more than three years after CD4 lymphocyte count falls below 200 suggests that host and viral factors play a more important role in AIDS progression than previously...

HIV infected children should be vaccinated. (against Haemophilus influenzae type b and Streptococcus pneumoniae)
March 20, 1995... Children who are HIV-positive should be immunized with Haemophilus influenzae type b and Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccines early in the course of their disease, according to a report from Great Britain. The immunologic basis for the increased...

California physicians vote for HIV reporting requirement. (California Medical Association)
March 20, 1995... Doctors would be required to notify county health authorities about anyone who tests positive for HIV, under a policy shift approved by delegates to the California Medical Association (CMA) convention. State law already requires reporting of...

West Virginia senate passes bill requiring HIV test before marriage.
March 20, 1995... A proposal to require couples to take an HIV test to receive a marriage license has passed the Senate. The Senate passed the bill 24-9, sending the measure to the House. If the bill is passed, West Virginia would become the only state with...

Study probes AIDS counseling.
March 20, 1995... Two in three Americans voluntarily tested for HIV go to private doctors, who are much less likely to provide the counseling offered at public clinics, a federal study found. The report released March 9, 1995, by the U.S. Centers for Disease...

ARAC reaffirms need for low-dose oral alpha interferon study. (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases AIDS Research Advisory Committee)
March 20, 1995... On February 23, 1995, the NIAID AIDS Research Advisory Committee (ARAC) reaffirmed the need for the institute to conduct a multicenter study to examine the effects of low dose oral alpha interferon (LDOAI) therapy on the symptoms caused by HIV...

Chemical delivery of AZT elicits improved brain delivery. (zidovudine)
March 20, 1995... A chemical delivery system for zidovudine may offer improved brain delivery over freely delivered drug, according to a report from New York's Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Because zidovudine is a relatively hydrophilic modified...

Nucleotide analog/nonnucleoside inhibitor offers promise.
March 20, 1995... An inhibitor combining the functionalities of a nonnucleoside inhibitor and a nucleotide analog could bind very tightly and specifically to reverse transcriptase, suggesting a potential treatment for AIDS. Several steady state studies have...

Passive immunotherapy shows efficacy in advanced disease.
March 20, 1995... A French study adds to the growing evidence suggesting that passive immunotherapy shows short-term efficacy in the treatment of advanced AIDS patients, but the difficulty in obtaining HIV- positive plasma makes the treatment impractical on a...

Response of HIV RNA to ddI predictive of survival. (didanosine)
March 20, 1995... In patients treated with didanosine (ddI), changes in viremia at one month after initiation of therapy predict survival independently of initial AIDS diagnosis and initial CD4 count, according to a report from Switzerland. The benefits of...

HCV transmission enhanced when mothers are HIV/HCV co-infected. (hepatitis C virus)(mother-to-infant transmission)
March 20, 1995... Researchers from Italy found that mother-to-infant transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) is heightened in mothers who are coinfected with HCV and HIV. A.R. Zanetti, Ph.D., University of Milan, Italy, and colleagues noted that the risk of...

Increased frequency of new HIV hybrid strains greater than thought.
March 20, 1995... Different strains of HIV coexist in people and spawn hybrids more often than scientists thought, says a report with possible implication for designing HIV vaccines. Scientists examined genes from 114 strains of HIV-1 and found that at least...

Tuberculosis and acquired immune deficiency syndrome: an emerging problem in the Philippines.(Research Report)
March 20, 1995... "Tuberculosis and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome: An Emerging Problem in the Philippines." R.A. Aplasca, O.T. Monzon and R.S. Arciaga. Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Alabang, Muntiniupa, Philippines. According to an abstract...

AIDS in an internal medicine unit: three cases of unusual expression.(Research Report)
March 20, 1995... "AIDS in an Internal Medicine Unit: Three Cases of Unusual Expression." A. Murinello, C. Loureiro, J. Alvanrenga, F. Van Dunen, R. Mendonca, A. Costa, M.C. Catarino, A. Goncalves and A. Pupo. Curry Cabral Hospital, Lisbon-Portugal. According...

A movie on AIDS: an innovative approach to infection control dissemination.(Research Report)
March 20, 1995... "A Movie on AIDS: An Innovative Approach to Infection Control Dissemination." S.B. Zaldivar. Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Metro Manila, Philippines. According to an abstract submitted by the authors to the 4th Western Pacific...

A new intervention program which significantly reduces psychological symptomatology in HIV seropositive individuals.(Research Report)
March 20, 1995... "A New Intervention Program Which Significantly Reduces Psychological Symptomatology in HIV Seropositive Individuals." D. Rozman, R. Whitaker, T. Beckman and D. Jones. Institute of HeartMath, Boulder Creek, California. According to an...

Liver pathology in HIV and AIDS patients.(Research Report)
March 20, 1995... "Liver Pathology in HIV and AIDS Patients." P. Suwangool and P. Suwangool. Department of Pathology and Medicine. Chulalongkron University, Bangkok, Thailand. According to an abstract submitted by the authors to the 4th Western Pacific...

Management of tuberculosis in AIDS patients.(Research Report)
March 20, 1995... "Management of Tuberculosis in AIDS Patients." R.L. Lao. St. Mary Medical Center, Hobart, Indiana. According to an abstract submitted by the authors to the 4th Western Pacific Congress on Chemotherapy and Infectious Diseases, held December...

Effective AIDS chemotherapy: is it waiting for Godot?(Research Report)
March 20, 1995... "Effective AIDS Chemotherapy: Is It Waiting For Godot?" S.E. Fathalla. Damman Regional Labs and Blood Bank, Damman, Saudi Arabia. According to an abstract submitted by the authors to the 4th Western Pacific Congress on Chemotherapy and...

Testing blood donors for HIV: current controversies. (reprinted from Immunological Investigations, 1995;24)(Periodical Report)(Abstract)
March 20, 1995... Busch, M.P. "Testing Blood Donors for HIV: Current Controversies." Immunological Investigations, 1995;24(1-2):147-154. According to the author's abstract of an article published in Immunological Investigations, "Despite an estimated risk of...

Nasopharyngeal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus and carriage of tetracycline-resistant strains associated with HIV-seropositivity. (reprinted from European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, Jan 1995)(Periodical Report)(Abstract)
March 20, 1995... Amir, M.; Paul, J.; Batchelor, B.; Kariuki, S.; Ojoo, J.; Waiyaki, P.; Gilks, C. "Nasopharyngeal Carriage of Staphylococcus aureus and Carriage of Tetracycline-Resistant Strains Associated with HIV- Seropositivity." European Journal of Clinical...

Pimelautide or Trimexautide as built-in adjuvants associated with an HIV-1-derived peptide: synthesis and in vivo induction of antibody and virus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-mediated response. (reprinted from Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Feb 3, 1995)(Periodical Report)(Abstract)
March 20, 1995... Vanderburg, S.H.; Klein, M.R.; Vandevelde, C.J.H.; Kast, W.M.; Miedema, F.; Melief, C.J.M. "Induction of a Primary Human Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Response Against a Novel Conserved Epitope in a Functional Sequence of HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase."...

Classification of HIV infection and disease in women from Rwanda - evaluation of the World Health Organization HIV staging system and recommended modifications. (reprinted from Annals of Internal Medicine, Feb 15, 1995)(Periodical Report)(Abstract)
March 20, 1995... Lifson, A.R.; Allen, S.; Wolf, W.; Serufilira, A.; Kantarama, G.; Lindan, C.P.; Hudes, E.S.; Nsengumuremyi, F.; Taelman, H.; Batungwanayo, J. "Classification of HIV Infection and Disease in Women from Rwanda - Evaluation of the World Health...

Drug injection and HIV prevalence in inmates of Glenochil Prison. (reprinted from British Medical Journal, Feb 4, 1995)(Periodical Report)(Abstract)
March 20, 1995... Gore, S.M.; Bird, A.G.; Burns, S.M.; Goldberg, D.J.; Ross, A.J.; Macgregor, J. "Drug Injection and HIV Prevalence in Inmates of Glenochil Prison." British Medical Journal, February 4, 1995;310(6975):293-296. According to the authors'...

Inhibition of AIDS-Kaposi's sarcoma cell proliferation following retinoic acid receptor activation. (reprinted from Cancer Research, Feb 15, 1995)(Periodical Report)(Abstract)
March 20, 1995... Guo, W.X.; Gill, P.S.; Antakly, T. "Inhibition of AIDS-Kaposi's Sarcoma Cell Proliferation Following Retinoic Acid Receptor Activation." Cancer Research, February 15, 1995;55(4):823-829. According to the authors' abstract of an article...

Michellamine B, a novel plant alkaloid, inhibits human immunodeficiency virus-induced cell killing by at least two distinct mechanisms. (reprinted from Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Feb 1995)(Periodical Report)(Abstract)
March 20, 1995... Mcmahon, J.B.; Currens, M.J.; Gulakowski, R.J.; Buckheit, R.W.; Lackmansmith, C.; Hallock, Y.F.; Boyd, M.R. "Michellamine B, a Novel Plant Alkaloid, Inhibits Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Induced Cell Killing by at Least two Distinct Mechanisms."...

Cancer vaccine research now a priority.(Second International Conference on Engineered Vaccines for Cancer and AIDS)
March 27, 1995... In a rapid change of direction, cancer researchers at the U.S. National Cancer Institute, biotechnology companies, and academic research institutions are committing extensive resources to the search for therapeutic cancer vaccines. "Two years...

CEA-vaccinia cancer vaccine trial: two strikes, but still at bat. (carcinoembryonic antigen)(Second International Conference on Engineered Vaccines for Cancer and AIDS)
March 27, 1995... Despite the lack of an objective tumor responses in two Phase I trials, researchers believe they are making progress in the development of a therapeutic cancer vaccine that expresses a gene coding for a tumor antigen. In two separate reports...

Naked CEA-DNA vaccine protects mice against tumor. (carcinoembryonic antigen)(Second International Conference on Engineered Vaccines for Cancer and AIDS)
March 27, 1995... A naked DNA vaccine protects mice against massive tumor challenge, according to a report at the Second International Conference on Engineered Vaccines for Cancer and AIDS, held March 3-5 in San Francisco, California. The vaccine has recently...

IL-2 shown to raise CD4 counts in some HIV+ patients. (interleukin-2)
March 27, 1995... Intermittent courses of interleukin-2 appeared to raise CD4 counts in a group of HIV-infected persons whose counts had not dropped below 200, according to a report from the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and infectious Diseases. A...

Modulation recognized as key factor in many diseases. (apoptosis modulation)
March 27, 1995... In January 1995, researchers discovered two chromosome 5 genes that cause spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), further evidence linking apoptosis as a significant factor in a vast range of diseases. The two chromosome 5 genes may work together or...

Artificial insemination safe but not totally. (risk of infection)
March 27, 1995... The risk of transmitting HIV or any infection during artificial insemination is very low, but safety loopholes still exist and some women are at risk, a researcher says. "Artificial insemination is safe but not completely so," Dr. Mary E....

Elastase-like protease receptor for HIV fusion.
March 27, 1995... A University of North Carolina study suggests that an elastase-like protease acts as a receptor for fusion of HIV. Previous investigations have hypothesized the participation of a host protease, including Factor Xa-like and thrombin-like...

AIDS patients treated in second FDA-approved study. (Food and Drug Administration; whole-body extracorporeal hyperthermia treatment)
March 27, 1995... Biocontrol Technology, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, announced that its subsidiary, IDT, Inc., in conjunction with HemoCleanse, Inc., has successfully treated ten AIDS patients in its second U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved...

Senate bill reopens window for AIDS patients to sue. (hemophiliacs who contracted AIDS from contaminated blood products)(New Jersey)
March 27, 1995... About half the nation's 20,000 hemophiliacs are dying or have died because they contracted HIV from transfusions, but patients in New Jersey cannot file lawsuits anymore. That prohibition could also prevent the patients and their families from...

Lawmakers vote against federal funding for AIDS housing. (West Virginia)
March 27, 1995... The House of Delegates of West Virginia has passed a bill to use federal funds to pay for housing for AIDS patients, despite the objections of 29 delegates. Much of the opposition came in the 70-29 vote came from conservative Republicans, who...

Targeted trans-splicing may be useful in treating genetic diseases.
March 27, 1995... Targeted trans-splicing may offer a new approach to gene therapy for the treatment of inherited and viral diseases in humans, researchers stated. Bruce A. Sullenger, Ph.D., Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, and Thomas R....

Association between genital ulcers AIDS increases in NYC. (New York City)
March 27, 1995... Despite declining HIV seroprevalence and genital ulcer disease incidence, the association between genital ulcer disease and HIV infection appears to have strengthened over time in New York City. Infection with HIV-1 has been associated with...

Bill would allow home testing for HIV. (Texas)
March 27, 1995... The Texas House has given preliminary approval to a bill that would clear the way for people to conduct home testing for HIV. The measure, approved on voice vote without any debate, is expected to win acceptance during a final House vote before...

Judge rules HIV testing of defendants unconstitutional. (sexual assault cases)
March 27, 1995... The law allowing sexual assault victims to require that their accused attackers be tested for HIV has been ruled unconstitutional, but a prosecutor says the state of New Jersey will appeal. State Superior Court Judge Jose L. Fuentes found that...