Subject: CDC NCHSTP Daily News Update Date: Tue Feb 3 07:31:03 PST 1998 (200 lines) From: National AIDS Info Clearinghouse Copyright 1998, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD CDC NCHSTP Daily News Update February 3, 1998 The CDC National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention provides the following information as a public service only. Providing synopses of key scientific articles and lay media reports on HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis does not constitute CDC endorsement. This daily update also includes information from CDC and other government agencies, such as background on Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) articles, fact sheets, press releases and announcements. Reproduction of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC NCHSTP Daily News Update should be cited as the source of the information. Copyright 1998, Information Inc., Bethesda, MD. HEADLINES --------- PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS "Vector Problems Still Thwart Gene-Therapy Promise" GENERAL MEDIA "AIDS Deaths Fall Sharply; New Treatments Credited" "Pediatricians' Group Calls for Tracking of Newborns with HIV" "Clinton Seeks $170 Billion for Research in Budget" "Docs Say AZT Thwarts Other AIDS Drugs" "Simple Programs Can Prevent HIV Spread, Experts Say" "Blood Program Revamped" "Needle Exchange Useful in AIDS Fight" *************************************************************** PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS *************************************************************** "Vector Problems Still Thwart Gene-Therapy Promise" Lancet (01/31/98) Vol. 351, No. 9099, P. 346; Mitchell, Peter While gene therapy offers hope for treatment of many diseases, a viable way to introduce genetic material in vivo remains a problem. On March 9, the National Institutes of Health will hold a conference to determine whether HIV-1 should be considered as a vector for gene therapy. Retroviruses offer hope as vectors, but they do not infect non-dividing cells. Another alternative, adenoviruses, infects non-dividing cells, but as a result are very immunogenic. Thus, cells containing this vector are cleared from the system rapidly. HIV-1 is a lentivirus--a retrovirus that can infect non-dividing cells--making it an ideal candidate for use as a viral vector. However, there is concern over injecting HIV into humans as a therapeutic treatment. As a result, researchers are investigating the use of alternate virus vectors, such as lentiviruses based on equine infectious anemia, herpes simplex, and adeno-associated virus. Scientists are also investigating other methods of non-virus based gene therapy. **************************************************************** GENERAL MEDIA **************************************************************** "AIDS Deaths Fall Sharply; New Treatments Credited" Washington Post (02/03/98) P. A2 AIDS deaths in the United States dropped 44 percent during the first half of 1997, largely due to advances in treatment medications. At the Fifth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials announced that U.S. AIDS deaths dropped to 12,040 in the first half of 1997, from 21,460 in the first six months of 1996. While nationwide data for last year will not be available until July, AIDS death totals in New York City--which has 16 percent of the nation's AIDS cases--are already in and show a 48 percent drop in AIDS deaths in 1997. The data indicate that all New York City AIDS patients, regardless of race or sex, are benefiting from the new treatments. Health experts cite improved treatment, particularly the advent of three-drug regimens that include a protease inhibitor, as the reason for the decrease. The CDC also reported that new AIDS cases fell 12 percent during the first half of 1997. The agency's Kevin DeCock commented: "We can't see the end of the epidemic, but it is the beginning of a new era." "Pediatricians' Group Calls for Tracking of Newborns with HIV" Fox News Online (02/02/98); Coleman, Brenda C. In the February issue of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that the U.S. government track all infants born with HIV. Regulations currently require physicians to report only AIDS cases and not HIV carriers to state health departments. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ceased conducting anonymous HIV tests on pregnant women for surveillance purposes in 1995, but the most recent estimate for the rate of infants born HIV-positive stands at approximately 1,600 a year. The academy stressed that the names of the mothers and infants remain confidential. The group does not support the American Medical Association's suggestion that all newborns be tested for HIV, a situation which the AAP said could create a difficult relationship between physicians and mothers. "Clinton Seeks $170 Billion for Research in Budget" New York Times (02/3/98) P. C4; Leary, Warren E. In his new budget proposal, President Clinton has allotted $170 billion over five years for civilian research and development, the largest such sum in history. The plan would designate $38 billion for civilian research and $78.2 billion for all federal research in the next fiscal year. Under Clinton's budget, the National Institutes of Health would receive a $1.15 billion increase in funding, raising its annual financing to $14.8 billion. The funds will allow for increased research into a wide range of diseases, including AIDS, diabetes, and brain disorders. According to NIH head Harold Varmus, $640 million of the funds would go into new researcher-initiated grants for the study of various diseases and medical conditions. The National Science Foundation and NASA will also benefit from the new budget proposal. "Docs Say AZT Thwarts Other AIDS Drugs" United Press International (02/02/98); Susman, Ed Jean-Pierre Sommadossi, a professor at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, announced at the Fifth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Chicago that AZT may actually hinder the effectiveness of new AIDS drugs. He suggested that chemical reactions caused by AZT could interfere with HIV fighting mechanisms, which could be a reason why HIV becomes resistant to AZT and other drugs in combination therapy. In his study, Sommadossi found a 95 percent reduction of viral levels in patients given d4T who had not previously taken AZT, while those who were first treated with AZT and then d4T registered only a 60 percent to 70 percent drop. Sommadossi suggests that AZT may interfere with phosphorylation--a process used by antiretroviral drugs to release their virus-fighting abilities--which could explain why patients do not show as positive reactions to therapy when their combination regimen includes AZT. Other studies presented at the conference, however, challenge Sommadossi's findings. "Simple Programs Can Prevent HIV Spread, Experts Say" Reuters (02/02/98) At the Fifth Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, Dr. David Katzenstein of Stanford University Medical Center and colleagues said that simple programs, such as peer counseling, can reduce the spread of HIV. The researchers based their conclusions on a three-year study at 40 factories in Zimbabwe, in which workers at half of the plants received peer counseling while the others did not. The workers who received peer counseling had a 25 percent to 33 percent lower HIV infection rate. The peer counseling included a week-long course on HIV risks and how to prevent transmission, and emphasized verbalization about HIV topics. Katzenstein said the program can be offered in the industrialized sector of the region, thereby aiding in the education of the population and subsequently reducing the spread of HIV. "Blood Program Revamped" USA Today (02/03/98) P. 6D Elizabeth Dole, president of the American Red Cross, said Monday that the agency's national blood program will finish its $287 million upgrade by the end of the year. The Red Cross initiated the plan in 1991 due to criticism regarding the agency's handling of its blood supply and concerns about possible HIV contamination. The new program screens blood for HIV and other viruses at eight high-volume national laboratories instead of the 53 independent labs used under the previous method. The new program also boasts standardized training for volunteers, centralized control of all blood services operations, a quality assurance program, and a $168.8 million centralized biomedical computer system designed to improve blood supply management. "Needle Exchange Useful in AIDS Fight" Washington Times (02/02/98) P. C2; Reed, Fred In a commentary in the Washington Times, Fred Reed analyzes the benefits and drawbacks of needle exchange programs. Reed asserts that the primary reason for needle-exchange programs--the attempt to curtail the spread of HIV--outweighs the primary argument against these programs, which is that they support injection drug habits. Reed argues against the notion that providing needles to addicts will foster new drug addictions. He states that, instead, the needles will go to drug users who are already addicted and have a high risk of contracting HIV. Furthermore, he notes that these exchange programs may possibly keep pregnant drug users from becoming HIV-positive and thereby spare their offspring from infection. In conclusion, Reed asserts his support for needle exchanges, pointing out that "addicts use. They're going to use. ... We might as well limit the damage." ***************************************************************** The AIDSNews Mailing List is maintained by the CDC National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention. Regular postings include the CDC NCHSTP Daily News Update, conference announcements, clinical trials information, current funding opportunities, and selected MMWR articles. To SUBSCRIBE, send the command "subscribe aidsnews firstname lastname" to the address listproc@aspensys.com. To UNSUBSCRIBE, send the command "unsubscribe aidsnews" to the address listproc@aspensys.com. 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