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From: The.Bird@f38.n135.z1.fidonet.org (The "Bird")
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
Subject: Re: MILITARY VACCINE TESTING
Message-ID: <39400@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Date: 26 Sep 90 14:34:59 GMT
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Note:	Copyright 1990 by Daniel R. Greening.  Permission granted for
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Archive-number: 2546

I found some more info on vaccine development from the same source. It's not 
too encouraging but ya never know what may develop......

"...This concern still exists [variability of the  segment of the HIV genome 
is the coding for the envelope protein] but it has been overshadowed by a much 
more serious problem; repeated virus challenge studies in chimpanzees (using 
HIV) and macaque monkeys (using SIV) have failed to demonstrate that vaccines 
of any kind can protect against infection with these viruses. "

"Vaccines evaluated to date have included a killed whole virus vaccine, a 
variety of subunit vaccines (some containing the HIV envelope protein gp120 
and others containing its precursor gp160), and a vaccinia-gp160 recombinant 
vaccine. In each case the animals were innoculated with a vaccine and then 
challenged with the same virus isolate used to produce the vaccine. All the 
animals developed persistent viral infections. As expected, the chimpanzees 
did not become ill (they do not get AIDS from natural HIV infection), but the 
vaccinated macaques developed AIDS and fared no better than unvaccinated 
controls."

"Studies of the immune functions of the immunized animals before they were 
challenged showed that the vaccines had elicited antibodies and, in some 
cases, a cell-mediated immune response to the HIV or SIV antigens. In fact the 
macaques immunized with killed whole virus had neutralizing antibodies. Upon 
challenge, however, the animals became persistently infected."

--  
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