AIDS Vaccine Week articles from March 2003

AIDS Vaccine Week archives from March 2003

HIV-2 genetic library vaccines ineffective in animals.
March 3, 2003... 2003 MAR 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - An HIV vaccine containing a "library" of viral antigens has shown disappointing results in animal experiments, researchers in the United States report. ...

Neonatal immunization ameliorates but does not prevent infection.
March 3, 2003... 2003 MAR 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - HIV vaccines may be useful for treating infants born to seropositive mothers, if their efficacy can be improved, researchers in the United States say. ...

Apoptotic, infected cells effective in animals.
March 3, 2003... 2003 MAR 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Sweden have identified a novel and effective method for inducing HIV-specific immune activity. Antigen (Ag)-presenting dendritic cells...

Both dendritic cell cross-presentation pathways effective.
March 3, 2003... 2003 MAR 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in France have elucidated the mechanisms by which effective HIV vaccine candidates deliver their payloads to antigen-presenting cells. An...

Dendritic cells loaded with viral antigens show promise.
March 3, 2003... 2003 MAR 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States have developed a novel and promising technique for immunization against HIV infection. M.A. Marovich and colleagues at the...

Experiment shows vaccine unlikely to give total protection from disease.
March 3, 2003... 2003 MAR 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The death of three monkeys that had gotten an AIDS vaccine in a Boston lab suggests that a closely watched strategy intended to blunt the deadly progression of HIV may not provide total protection from...

Researchers test HIV/AIDS vaccine in Uganda.
March 3, 2003... 2003 MAR 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Ugandan researchers have begun testing an AIDS vaccine specifically designed for a strain of the disease common in East Africa, the lead researcher says. Dr. Ponsiano Kaleebu said his team at the...

Vaccine development company gains experienced board member.
March 3, 2003... 2003 MAR 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- VaxGen, Inc. (NASDAQ:VXGN) announced that Michel Greco, former deputy CEO and board member of Aventis Pasteur, has joined VaxGen's Board of Directors. As one of the world's most experienced vaccine...

Glycoconjugate vaccines effective in animals.
March 3, 2003... 2003 MAR 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in Massachusetts have identified a novel method for improving the performance of potential HIV vaccines. L.C. Paoletti and colleagues at Brigham...

IL-2 increases CD4+ numbers but does not enhance responses to immunization.
March 3, 2003... 2003 MAR 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- According to recent research from the United States, "To ascertain whether CD4+ lymphocyte increases induced by interleukin (IL)-2 enhanced in vivo immune responses, 38 human immunodeficiency virus...

Researchers design CD4 mimic that inhibits HIV-1 entry.
March 3, 2003... 2003 MAR 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "The conserved surfaces of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 envelope involved in receptor binding represent potential targets for the development of entry inhibitors and neutralizing antibodies....

Therapeutic dendritic-cell vaccine effective against simian AIDS.
March 3, 2003... 2003 MAR 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "An effective immune response against human immunodeficiency virus or simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) is critical in achieving control of viral replication. Here, we show in SIV-infected rhesus...

Travelers spread HIV-1 genetic variants.
March 3, 2003... 2003 MAR 3 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- "HIV-1 comprises three groups, the main (M group), 0 (outlier) and N (non-M, non-O). The M group, divided into 11 subtypes, is responsible for the global HIV-1 pandemic. Recombination between M...

Peptides trap HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein fusion intermediate at two sites.
March 10, 2003... 2003 MAR 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Peptides trap the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 envelope glycoprotein fusion intermediate at two sites. According to recent research from the United States, "Human immunodeficiency virus...

Conditional virus replication may provide a safe live attenuated HIV vaccine.
March 10, 2003... 2003 MAR 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Conditional virus replication may offer an approach to a safe live attenuated human immunodeficiency virus vaccine. According to a study from The Netherlands, "Despite intensive efforts, no safe...

Recombinant HIV vector effective.
March 10, 2003... 2003 MAR 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Recombinant HIV vectors can be used to deliver highly effective antiretroviral gene therapy, according to researchers in Japan. Koichi Miyake and...

Cross-reactive antibodies induced via alphavirus vector.
March 10, 2003... 2003 MAR 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers in the United States and China have developed an HIV vaccine candidate capable of eliciting cross-reactive humoral responses to the virus. ...

Drug already used as therapy tested for transmission prevention.
March 17, 2003... 2003 MAR 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- As effective vaccines against HIV remain elusive, Johns Hopkins researchers have completed the first tests to see if a drug already used to treat HIV infection might one day be used to prevent sexual...

Trial results are important step forward in developing effective vaccine.
March 17, 2003... 2003 MAR 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Preliminary results of a large-scale trial of a candidate AIDS vaccine announced by the U.S.-based biotechnology company VaxGen suggest that it is possible to protect some individuals from HIV...

RANTES, CpG ODNs effective as mucosal adjuvants.
March 17, 2003... 2003 MAR 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Researchers at Emory University in Atlanta have identified a pair of adjuvants that can be used to enhance the effects of mucosal HIV vaccines. "Cholera...

Experimental AIDS vaccine seen helping some.
March 17, 2003... 2003 MAR 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A highly anticipated experimental AIDS vaccine failed to protect most people from the disease in its first major trial, although it did show promise in protecting blacks and Asians, its developer says....

Distrust may lead blacks to be wary of AIDS vaccine testing.
March 17, 2003... 2003 MAR 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Researchers trying to learn more about why an AIDS vaccine appeared to work well in a small number of black volunteers may have trouble finding people for further studies, advocates and educators warn....

AIDS vaccine fails, long HIV fight still ahead.
March 17, 2003... 2003 MAR 17 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Though a once-promising AIDS vaccine candidate failed a significant test, scientists and activists still applauded the biotechnology company for conducting an ethical experiment and said the results...

Quantitation of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in mice aid vaccine research.
March 24, 2003... 2003 MAR 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Quantitative assessment of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells in the mouse aid in vaccine development. According to a study from the United States, "An effective HIV vaccine will likely need to induce...

Do vaccines cause asthma, allergies, or other chronic diseases?
March 24, 2003... 2003 MAR 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Large scientific studies do not support claims that vaccines may cause chronic diseases such as asthma, multiple sclerosis, chronic arthritis, and diabetes, according to a new report. The report's...

Initial results of phase III AIDS vaccine trial announced.
March 24, 2003... 2003 MAR 24 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- VaxGen, Inc., (VXGN) announced initial results from the first of its 3-year, multinational, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III trials of AIDSVAX (rgp120) to prevent HIV infection....

Salmonella secretion antigen delivery primes SIV-specific T-cell response.
March 31, 2003... 2003 MAR 31 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Mucosal priming of simian immunodeficiency virus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses were found in rhesus macaques that received a Salmonella type III secretion antigen delivery system. ...

Live-attenuated SIV expressing interleukin-4 stimulate immune response.
March 31, 2003... 2003 MAR 31 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Live-attenuated simian immunodeficiency viruses expressing interleukin-4 or interferon-gamma stimulated an immune response in macaques. According to recent research from Germany, "Nef deletion...

Recipients at risk for false positive test results.
March 31, 2003... 2003 MAR 31 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Several HIV vaccine candidates cause a high rate of false positive test results, researchers in the United States warn. "Since 1987, more than 10,000...

Viral gene responsible for oncogenesis identified.
March 31, 2003... 2003 MAR 31 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- The guilty gene responsible for initiating oncogenesis in Kaposi sarcoma has been identified - at last - by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College. Kaposi sarcoma associated herpes virus...

Antiretroviral therapy improves VH3 humoral responses.
March 31, 2003... 2003 MAR 31 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- by Michael Greer, senior medical writer - Antiretroviral therapy for HIV improves variable region gene family 3 (VH3)-based humoral responses, researchers in the United States report. VH3 "is the...

Molecular characteristics of HIV-1 subtype C viruses elucidated.
March 31, 2003... 2003 MAR 31 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study of the molecular characteristics of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 subtype C viruses from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa has resulted in implications for vaccine and antiretroviral control...