>From: "ANNE WILSON, CDC NAC" >Date: Thu, 02 Jun 1994 09:08:10 -0400 (EDT) AIDS Daily Summary June 2, 1994 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National AIDS Clearinghouse makes available the following information as a public service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement by the CDC, the CDC Clearinghouse, or any other organization. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information. Copyright 1994, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD ************************************************************ "HIV's Tricks: Hide and Deactivate" "AIDS Vaccine Set for Wide Testing, Salk Group Says" "Substitute Blood Developed in Texas" "Hunger Strike at Hospice in 10th Day" "Discovery ... Dietary Supplement May Boost Immune System" "For AIDS Relief, a Garland of Memories" "Court: Seek Out AIDS Bias" "Curcumin Trial Results: Antiviral Effect Reported" "Fighting AIDS or Responding to the Epidemic: Can Public Health Find Its Way?" ************************************************************ "HIV's Tricks: Hide and Deactivate" Washington Post (06/02/94) P. A8 HIV stimulates a strong immune system response, but avoids cells sent to destroy it by disguising itself and temporarily inactivating the killer cells. British researchers report that the virus outwits the immune system by altering its surface proteins to render them unrecognizable to the T-cells, which are then deactivated by the virus. This clever strategy is the product of the virus' "variability," according to Andrew McMichael, one of the researchers. Related Story: Washington Times (06/02) P. A12 "AIDS Vaccine Set for Wide Testing, Salk Group Says" Boston Globe (06/01/94) P. 17; Knox, Richard A. Upon completion of a series of experiments, colleagues of Jonas Salk announced yesterday that they are ready to launch large-scale testing of his AIDS vaccine in thousands of HIV patients. Salk, who developed the polio vaccine, has strayed from other vaccine theories by arguing that the best way to deal with HIV is to kill it with chemicals so that it is no longer infectious, then to provoke an immune response to the entire virus. This week, the Salk group published the first scientific report of its studies, which indicate that the vaccine significantly slowed growth of the virus in HIV-positive volunteers who received three injections. The researchers cautioned that the study does not indicate that the vaccine can delay progression to AIDS, and said they will need to enroll at least 4,000 patients for studies in up to 40 medical centers to explore that possibility. "Substitute Blood Developed in Texas" United Press International (06/01/94) Researchers at the University of Texas have developed and patented "hypersmolar oxyreplete hemosubstitute," a blood substitute that eliminates the risk of HIV transmission during blood transfusions. UT professor Thomas Runge, who invented the substitute, says it is favorable because transfusions with human blood do present a risk of transmitting AIDS and other diseases. In human blood, he notes, it can take 180 days to detect HIV infection, but because blood should be used within 42 days, there is the small risk of contracting disease. "Hunger Strike at Hospice in 10th Day" United Press International (06/01/94) Ten AIDS activists participating in a hunger strike to protest the possible closing next week of Philadelphia's only nursing home expressly for AIDS patients yesterday demanded to meet with state welfare officials. The officials are expected to visit the hospice today for a meeting with administrators of Betak--a face-to-face event the protesters hope will help save the home. One fasting activist was sent home on the third day of the hunger strike; two others were briefly hospitalized for malnutrition and dehydration. "Discovery ... Dietary Supplement May Boost Immune System" Business Wire (05/25/94) Pharma-Search Inc., which recently formulated a dietary supplement derived from natural food sources, announced that the supplement may be promising for people with AIDS. A small group of AIDS patients who had been taking the dietary supplement, shown to be safe for ingestion, demonstrated a marked increase in fighter T-cells, white blood cells, and B-cells after six weeks. Some experienced weight gain; in general, they reported feeling more energetic and less lethargic. Based on this preliminary finding, Pharma-Search intends to seek approval to prepare applications for controlled studies. "For AIDS Relief, a Garland of Memories" Boston Globe (05/26/94) P. 57; McLaughlin, Jeff As thousands of Judy Garland and "The Wizard of Oz" fans descend on Provincetown, Mass., June 17-19, they will embark on a two-pronged mission: to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the actress' death and to raise money for AIDS. Dozens of celebrities have donated one-of-a-kind items, including Garland memorabilia, for a benefit auction for the Provincetown AIDS Support Group. The auction's principal organizer, Jerry McCarthy, said he and other AIDS Support Group members have been working for a year and a half to set up the project. "Court: Seek Out AIDS Bias" Advocate (05/17/94) No. 655, P. 22 Attorneys representing defendants with AIDS should be granted broad leeway in questioning potential jurors about AIDS bias, the Texas appeals court ruled on April 7. In other state courtrooms, a justice of the peace said that an attempt to lock the Ballet Folklorico de Tejas dance troupe out of its Austin studio following the AIDS-related death of its founder may have been a case of illegal AIDS-based discrimination. And, on April 9, the two men who broadcast a sexually explicit safe-sex video on an Austin cable television cable-access program were convicted on obscenity charges. Gareth Rees and Terrell Johnson could each be sentenced to a year in prison and a $3,000 fine. "Curcumin Trial Results: Antiviral Effect Reported" AIDS Treatment News (05/06/94) No. 198, P. 1; James, John S. The first human trial of curcumin, an alternative AIDS treatment, demonstrated a modest antiviral effect, according to SEARCH Alliance, a community-based research organization in Los Angeles. Curcumin is derived from turmeric, the spice which gives curry its yellow tint, and is the first of a potential new class of anti-HIV treatments that target the long terminal repeat (LTR) of HIV. It first showed up in laboratory tests at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and follow-up viral tests at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. In the trial, curcumin's antiviral effect was observed in measurements of HIV RNA, using an experimental test. The only toxicity noted was upper gastrointestinal discomfort in some participants. The antiviral effect, however, appeared to be only temporary, partially fading by 20 weeks. More research is needed, such as the new curcumin trial which will be conducted in Boston by the Community Research Initiative of New England. "Fighting AIDS or Responding to the Epidemic: Can Public Health Find Its Way?" Lancet (05/07/94) Vol. 343, No. 8906, P. 1145; Decosas, Josef Every war has its victims, and one of the victims of the war on AIDS is the discipline of public health, says Dr. Joseph Decosas of the GTZ Regional AIDS Programme for West and Central Africa. Institutions are too desperately devoted to stopping AIDS, he says. Decosas asks is it truly that important to demonstrate condom use, to spend so much effort trying to prove that treatment of sexually transmitted diseases curb the spread of AIDS, or to commission a high-powered public health professional to coordinate the activities of prostitute collectives? Of course there is a need for public education campaigns, condom marketing, economic and demographic impact analyses, and human rights conferences. But, Decosas wonders, how can the effects of these diverse activities be measured on a single cost-effectiveness scale? They cannot, he concludes, unless "stopping AIDS" is the focus. The concept of fighting AIDS by stopping HIV, however, is seriously flawed and should be discarded, Decosas asserts. Most regions in the world already have an established HIV epidemic. What is truly needed, then, is new programs, new approaches, radical reforms, and a social response ranging from a review of legislation to rethinking of national industrial development plans.