Failure of AIDS vaccine punctures soaring hopes

[MrCoffee]

Source: Seattle Times

The resounding failure of an AIDS vaccine that was tested with great fanfare in Seattle and around the world has left researchers with plenty of theories — but as far as ever from the long-sought holy grail in the fight against the pandemic.

Researchers gathered in Seattle on Wednesday for a three-day conference admitted they were both startled and disheartened by the revelation that the much-hailed "STEP Study" vaccine may actually have put volunteers at an even greater risk of developing HIV than reported last month. HIV-negative men who received the test vaccine actually ended up with more cases of infections than men who got placebo injections.

The vaccine had been only the second ever to reach wide testing in humans, and early phases had shown so much promise that scientists spoke excitedly as recently as last winter of finally finding an elusive vaccine.



Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2004001162_stepvaccine08m.html

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This is saddening news. There was real hope for this trial to succeed.

[Warpy]

1. That virus is diabolical

and I doubt anything can stop its eventual spread throughout the population.

We can slow it by rejecting religious bullshit and turning back to real sex education and the importance of using condoms for every intercourse unless a pregnancy is fully intended and making those condoms available at no cost to young sexually active people.

I think our main hope lies in the fact that this virus is a fast mutating virus and will eventually mutate into a less deadly form. That has not happened yet and shows not sign of happening, but other viruses have done so.

[thecrow]

2. Is this the same one that Cuba is working on?

I thought they were only at the animal trials stage.
(Can an animal be HIV+ ?)