Launch of HIV vaccine trial in Africa

South Africa has one of the most severe epidemics in the world. It is reported that the first large-scale HIV vaccine trial will begin in South Africa.

Three thousand men and women with HIV negative test results - those who are very passionate about sex - will be vaccinated in a four-year study. An international research team, led by experts from the United States, will observe a trial of vaccine made by Merck, a drug company. It is hoped that this study will provide information on how a vaccine works in a community of opposite sex. The study probably also shows whether the vaccine is effective for women. The vaccine for testing has passed many tests on the safety and response of the immune system in the Americas, Africa and Australia.

The vaccine does not contain a live HIV virus, so it cannot cause infection but definitely contains three gene versions of the HIV virus. The hope is that exposure to these three genes promotes the body's immune response so that cells containing HIV virus will be identified and destroyed. The study, jointly managed by the HIV Vaccine Test Network (HVTN) and South Africa's AIDS Vaccine Development Program (SAAVI), is also expected to show whether the vaccine, whether or not it is based on the B strain of the HIV virus, whether it is able to protect against viral C-flow - a common subtype in Africa.

"Daily burden"

Participants in the study will be between 18 and 35 years old. No pregnant women participated in the trial. Some people will be vaccinated while others will do the same thing as an injection. People will receive advice on how to safely practice sex. The trial was approved by the South African Medical Control Council and the South African Department of Agriculture and approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Although the experiment produced positive results, further research was needed before the vaccine was licensed. Dr. Lawrence Corey, a lead researcher for the HIV Vaccine Test Network, who was arranged at Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and who manages the study, said: This test will address many important scientific issues facing all of us in the development of HIV prevention vaccines. It will determine the usefulness of vaccines that cause a high immune response to similar parts between different strains of HIV virus. '

"Our communities here in South Africa are facing a burden," said Dr. Glenda Gray of the cycle of HIV Research, born at the University of Witwatersrand in Soweto. heavy on HIV on a daily basis and the investigators of the experiment and the research team have spent many years developing relationships with the community so that we can move forward together in the search for improvements advancing to prevent new HIV infections. '

Deborah Jack, executive director of the UK's National Aids Advocacy Organization, said: 'With the levels of HIV disease rising globally, effective HIV prevention measures are needed urgently. . The development of a safe, effective, and usable vaccine may have a major impact on HIV prevalence worldwide. Although vaccine development is a long and complex process, we welcome this new trial as a further step towards the ultimate goal of preventing the spread of HIV. '

Thien Kim