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Contributions from
the Column
Focus
Combating HIV/AIDS – the German input
US study warns of dramatic rise in the HIV infection rate
People living with HIV as target group counsellors in Argentina
Empowerment of girls in Africa
Russia's underrated epidemic
Big sales, little education
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Work on the development of vaccines
02/2003
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Immune to AIDS?
Work on the development of vaccines
In several countries of the world groups of people have been found who are immune to HIV/AIDS and have not been infected despite frequent exposure. An example is a group of about 60 prostitutes in Kenya. The existence of such immune groups has been known for almost two decades. But it was not until last year that a research group led by David Ho, of Rockefeller University, New York, was able to describe in detail the antibody underlying their immunity. It is about certain proteins that are designated alpha defensines. Another group of natural antibodies are the beta chemokines, whose effectiveness is linked with a defect in the so-called CCR5 gene. This defect occurs more often in northern Europe than anywhere else in the world, which could be why the disease is less prevalent there.
Several research groups are currently working on vaccines. The American pharmaceuticals company Schering-Plough in 2001 began testing a substance called SCH-C. Another US concern, Progenics, and the Hoffmann-LaRoche company are developing another medication. The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), founded in 1996 and financed by, among others, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and the World Bank, is working on various vaccines. The first volunteers in Britain and Kenya have already received test vaccines.
Hopes were dashed by the fact that due to mutations, new and more dangerous various of the HI virus come into being. The results were published in 2001 by, among others, Julio Montaner, of the University of British Columbia, Canada.
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
20, avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27. Tel.: 0041-22/791-3666
Fax: 0041-22/791-4187, E-Mail: unaids@unaids.org
Internet: http://www.unaids.org or http://www.who.ch
International AIDS Society (IAS)
IAS Permanent Secretariat, P. O. Box 5619,
S-114 86 Stockholm, Sweden.
Tel.: 0046-8/459.66.21, Fax: 0046-8/662.60.95, E-Mail: secretariat@ias.se
Internet: http://www.ias.se/
AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC)
AVAC publications include reports on the current status of vaccine development, as well as the HIV Vaccine Handbook.
AVAC, 1701 K Street NW, Washington, DC 2006-1519, USA.
Tel. 001-202/387.55.17, Fax 001-202/986.13.45
Internet: http://www.avac.org
International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI)
The IAVI, a scientific organisation and UNAIDS Collaborating Centre, was founded in 1996 with the goal of developing a vaccine against HIV and making it accessible. The founders were the Rockefeller, Sloan, Starr and Gates foundations, the British government and the World Bank. The newsletter IAVI Report appears quarterly.
IAVI, 810 110 William Street, New York, NY 10038-3901, USA.
Tel. 001-212/847.11.11 Fax 001-212/847.11.12, E-Mail: info@iavi.org,
Internet: http://www.IAVI.org
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