| From: |
Adeyemo Gabriel [ profile ] |
| Subject: |
Promising AIDS vaccine trials start in Kenya
|
| Sent: |
May 9th, 2011 - 10:08:53 |
|
| |
Source:* Daily Nation (Kenya)*
AUTHOR: Arthur Okwemba
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Promising+Aids+vaccine+trials+start+in+Kenya+/-/1056/1156652/-/15sydny/-/
Fellow Colleagues,
Trials on an AIDS vaccine that is generating a lot of excitement in the
scientific world have finally started in Kenya with several volunteering for
vaccination... Scientists at the Kenya Aids Vaccine Initiative (KAVI) said
they were, in collaboration with International Aids Vaccine Initiative
(IAVI), testing two vaccines of this nature at two KAVI research sites in
Nairobi.
KAVI is a research centre of the University of Nairobi. One of the vaccines,
Ad35/Ad26, is being tested at Kangemi site B003 and the second one, Ad35/GSK
Protein, is being tried at Kenyatta National Hospital site B002. Both
vaccines have been tested in the USA and Europe. Trials have also been going
in Asia until last year when Kenya was selected.
Recruitment of volunteers started in February, and so far each of the
locations have vaccinated nine volunteers, a development that has impressed
researchers.
Scientists have for a long time argued that the best strategy would be to
stop the virus from infecting the cell. But at the same time, they have
explored a strategy that stops the virus from replicating once in the cell.
Last year, a vaccine design of this nature tested in Thailand was able to
produce an immune response of 30 per cent, the highest since vaccine trials
begun in the world more than 10 years ago.
Buoyed by this success, researchers across the world have focused
significant amounts of their resources on this new vaccine design. Studies
in the animal model, where the combined antibody and cellular immune
response vaccine was first tested, showed remarkable results. The vaccine
induced better immune response, with high increases in the CD 4 and CD 8
cells - immune cells that protect the body from infections. This response
was also shown to be broader and to last longer than the previous designs.
With this data, the vaccine was moved into human trials, with stud ies in
the US and Europe.
In Africa, trial on vaccine Ad35/Ad26 is being done in Kenya, South Africa
and Rwanda. It is also being done in Boston, United States. The Ad35/GSK
Protein vaccine is being tried in Kenya, Uganda and Zambia. In other recent
research, a team of scientists including those from Kenya has isolated three
broadly neutralising antibodies from long-term HIV survivors.
The antibodies are able to neutralise 90 per cent of the HIV-1 virus.
Scientists are now working on an Aids vaccine using this information.
Thanks for reading through. Click the link above to read complete article.
--
Many Thanks
Yours' in Prevention Science
Adeyemo Damilare Gabriel
Regional Focal Point - West Africa
Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AID (GYCA)
+234-80-6798-7317 | gabriel (at) gyca.org
www.gyca.org | www.tigweb.org
GYCA is a youth-led global network of more than 5,000 young leaders and
adult allies working on youth and HIV/AIDS in 150 countries world-wide.
GYCA's mission is to empower young leaders with the skills, knowledge,
resources and opportunities they need to scale up HIV/AIDS interventions
amongst their peers.
Universal Access is possible; *
*Zero new HIV infections. **Zero discrimination and ***Zero AIDS-related
deaths.***
|
|
Message
back to messages
