Washington — In a study giving new evidence that AIDS can be controlled by vaccine, inoculated monkeys stayed healthy despite exposure to high levels of virus, researchers say. The new vaccine is being fast-tracked toward human testing.
In a report appearing today in the journal Science, researchers said the vaccine uses a one-two-three punch, with two shots to prime the immune system to resist the AIDS virus, and a final shot with a modified pox virus to boost protection.
The first two shots use a vaccine containing DNA for three proteins like those found in the AIDS virus.
These proteins create a memory that prompts the immune system to attack when the proteins are later detected, said Harriet Robinson, senior author of the study.
The booster shot uses a modified smallpox vaccine with the three HIV proteins added. This intensifies the immune system's response against the AIDS virus proteins, she said.
"Our results show that we can protect monkeys against an HIV-like virus using an immunization scheme that is practical for use in people," she said. Robinson noted, however, that the vaccine has not been tested for use in people already infected with HIV.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the study "provides some of the best evidence to date that a preventive HIV vaccine may protect against AIDS."
Robinson said the first human trials are expected in less than a year.
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