The Immune Response Corp. releases results for new vaccine candidate.(Brief Article)

2002 JUL 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Citing an important step in ongoing research in the ability to trigger immune responses specific to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), The Immune Response Corp. (IMNR) announced preliminary results from a nonhuman primate study in which CD4[superscript]+ and CD8[superscript]+ T cells, the specialized white blood cells, which kill infected cells in the body targeted specifically at HIV, increased in test monkeys after receiving immunizations of a new combination HIV vaccine.

"Vaccination of rhesus macaques with inactivated gp120-depleted HIV-1, Remune, in the presence of Incomplete Freund's Adjuvant and immunostimulatory DNA, ODN 2006, induces robust HIV-specific humoral and cellular responses," said Dr. Peter Silvera who conducted the tests on behalf of the Southern Research Institute in collaboration with The National Institutes of Health, The Immune Response Corporation, and the Jonas Salk Foundation.

"This study offers support to our belief that this combination holds promise as a possible preventative vaccine against HIV infection," said Dr. Dennis Carlo, president and CEO for The Immune Response Corporation. "We believe strongly in the need for additional testing and study, including clinical human trials, on this combination at a time when there are limited viable HIV vaccine candidates."

In the test, four rhesus monkeys were given a series of immunizations with Remune plus an adjuvant consisting of sequences of immunostimulatory DNA (CpG). Four additional monkeys served as a control group, with two monkeys receiving adjuvant alone and two receiving ...