A world first: Vaccine helps prevent HIV infection

[A Turtle Named Mack]

Originally Posted by AP

For the first time, an experimental vaccine has prevented infection with the AIDS virus, a watershed event in the deadly epidemic and a surprising result. Recent failures led many scientists to think such a vaccine might never be possible.

The vaccine — a combination of two previously unsuccessful vaccines — cut the risk of becoming infected with HIV by more than 31 percent in the world's largest AIDS vaccine trial of more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand, researchers announced Thursday in Bangkok.

Even though the benefit is modest, "it's the first evidence that we could have a safe and effective preventive vaccine," Col. Jerome Kim told The Associated Press. He helped lead the study for the U.S. Army, which sponsored it with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The study used strains of HIV common in Thailand. Whether such a vaccine would work against other strains in the U.S., Africa or elsewhere in the world is unknown, scientists stressed.

http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world...ne-145401.html

[Sister Ray]

If this vaccine does in fact reduce infection by even that amount, it's news scientists and doctors have been waiting twenty-six years to hear.

Sister "cautiously optimistic" Ray

[purpleiguana]

Good news indeed. Question, tho: I thought HIV and AIDS were not interchangeable terms and described two different conditions. Related, but unique. Was I wrong?

[Simply Madeline]

Originally Posted by purpleiguana

Good news indeed. Question, tho: I thought HIV and AIDS were not interchangeable terms and described two different conditions. Related, but unique. Was I wrong?

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. It's possible to be HIV-positive and not have AIDS, but it is not possible to have AIDS without being HIV-positive.

[bjohn13]

How do they get people to volunteer for an HIV vaccination experiment?

[erwins]

Originally Posted by bjohn13

How do they get people to volunteer for an HIV vaccination experiment?

They recruit people who are already in high risk groups, give them intensive counseling on how to avoid infection, usage of condoms, lowering risks, etc., then give the vaccine or placebo. Then they wait and see how many people in each group contract HIV despite the advice on avoiding it.

It's the only way the experiment can ethically be done. One of the researchers was talking about this issue on the radio this morning. He mentioned too that the counselors and the researchers are not the same people -- further insulating the experiment from bias, and ensuring the integrity of the counseling.

erwins

[bjohn13]

Originally Posted by erwins

They recruit people who are already in high risk groups, give them intensive counseling on how to avoid infection, usage of condoms, lowering risks, etc., then give the vaccine or placebo. Then they wait and see how many people in each group contract HIV despite the advice on avoiding it.

It's the only way the experiment can ethically be done. One of the researchers was talking about this issue on the radio this morning. He mentioned too that the counselors and the researchers are not the same people -- further insulating the experiment from bias, and ensuring the integrity of the counseling.

erwins

Thanks for the response. I was genuinely curious as to how such an experiment could possibly take place.

[rlobinske]

Before we get too excited, the results were barely significant. I did a quick estimate using the given number, Chi-square = 3.899 and P=0.0483. A difference of one or two cases could've driven the P-value above 0.05.

It's encouraging enough to justify more research in that direction, but there's still a good chance that the result was a statistical fluke.

[jimmy101_again]

Originally Posted by rlobinske

Before we get too excited, the results were barely significant. I did a quick estimate using the given number, Chi-square = 3.899 and P=0.0483. A difference of one or two cases could've driven the P-value above 0.05.

It's encouraging enough to justify more research in that direction, but there's still a good chance that the result was a statistical fluke.

You are right. A 30% change in risk is a pretty small change in the actual numbers, especially when it is in a small population with a relatively low overall incidence.

Still, it's the first vaccination that hasn't outright failed in clinical testing. There have been so many failures anything that is even a slight success is encouraging.

Interesting that it's a mixture of inoculants. The best treatment for AIDS is a cocktail of several drugs. Perhaps, for some reason, that's what's required for HIV immunity, a cocktail of inoculants?

[Mouse]

Am I the only one waiting for the Fundies to crawl out of the woodwork and complain how this defies the will of the Lord? Maybe I'm just a little too cynical after seeing their reaction to Gardasil.

[stagemanager0610]

Here's an article that sorta mirrors the OP, but from an LGBTQ perspective.

Personally, I think this is a great advancement, but I also think it will be many years before we're able to fully stop HIV or cure it.

[Sister Ray]

Originally Posted by stagemanager0610

Personally, I think this is a great advancement, but I also think it will be many years before we're able to fully stop HIV or cure it.

True, but this is the first vaccine that has shown any promise. With the lack of an animal model to test anything on, the work will be slower by default due to ethical concerns.

Sister "it's good news if it does pan out" Ray