This is the second in a series of periodic articles about the importance and challenges of developing an AIDS vaccine. Public and community support for developing an AIDS vaccine has been limited by lack of understanding of what vaccines are, how they work, and the unique issues of developing a vaccine against HIV. So
G'dali Braverman, ACT UP/Golden Gate Writers ' Pool
On December 7, 1995 the FDA announced the conditional approval of Saquinavir , the first of a new class of anti-HIV drugs known as protease inhibitors. Unlike other HIV therapies that have been approved in prior years, this drug is being recommended as a monotherapy. That single fact may serve as a clue as to why S
Matthew Sharp and Dean Knutson - ACT UP/Golden Gate Writers Pool
An experimental and relatively non-invasive procedure that may restore the immune system in adults with HIV/AIDS is about to begin. One of the primary organs of the immune system, the thymus, is responsible for the maturation of T-cells, and thymic tissue can be transplanted into people with AIDS. Based on a limited un
About 3,000 San Franciscans with HIV disease get their healthcare from the Kaiser Foundation, and many more receive care from other HMOs in the city. People in HMOs may encounter special problems in obtaining good healthcare from their provider. In Kaiser s case, many members have encountered obstacles arising from its
In coffee-klatch jargon we call it thrush . At the doctor s office it s referred to as Candidiasis. Package inserts may refer to it as a yeast infection. Any way you slice it, it s the most common fungal infection found in people with HIV at all stages of disease. Over 90% of people with AIDS have oropharyngeal
This is the first in a series of periodic articles about the importance and challenges of developing an AIDS vaccine. At an optimistic press conference in 1984, then-Health and Human Services Secretary Margaret Heckler announced discovery of the HIV virus and forecast that we would have an AIDS vaccine within five year
Dr. Larry Mole has put his background in biochemistry to use as coordinator of the AIDS Research Center at the VA Hospital in Palo Alto. His early work was in malaria laboratory research, after which he attended pharmacy school at UCSF, and later did a residency at the VA Hospital in Palo Alto. He then began work at th
Marcos E. Garcˇa-Ojeda and Jeff Getty, ACT UP/Golden Gate Writers Pool
Scientists have developed a new strategy for the elimination of HIV-infected cells. Current HIV therapies involving anti-viral agents that target various enzymes essential for HIV s viral life cycle are rendered ineffective by the virus s ability to mutate and become resistant to anti-viral agents. Furthermore, long-te
G'dali Braverman, ACT UP/Golden Gate Writers' Pool
In a couple of weeks kids across America will be returning to school to write those traditional essays of What I Did This Summer. If people with AIDS were writing those essays, the summer of 95 would certainly produce several volumes entitled My Non-Vacation and the AIDS Lotteries. This summer was without a doubt the P
Since 1990, the Ryan White CARE Act has provided federal subsidies to states, counties, and cities for the care of persons with AIDS, matching the amounts local governments have already committed to HIV and AIDS services. It is distributed to community-based organizations and health departments, with input from state a
In the battle for AIDS treatments, no drug has been put through the wringer more than thalidomide . The tragic side of the famous drug involves the birth defects it caused in infants born to European mothers who took the drug in the late 1950s for morning sickness. The positive side is that new research into the drug m
Matt Sharp and Virg Parks, ACT UP/Golden Gate Writers Pool
Protease inhibitors may be the most promising ones yet created for decreasing viral load in people with HIV: the new generation of drugs attack HIV protease, an enzyme necessary for viral replication. As of this writing, there are at least ten protease inhibitors in development worldwide, from pre-chemical test tube st
Note: Many people have been contacting ACT UP/Golden Gate to get more information regarding Jeff Getty s xenogeneic transfer protocol. With this article we hope to answer those questions. Say you have AIDS and fewer than 50 CD4 cells. You discover that someone who has been repeatedly exposed to HIV has never become inf
On Monday, July 17 Merck & Co. announced the creation of its Program for People with Advanced HIV Disease. The program will make available the Merck Protease Inhibitor, Crixivan , to 1,400 people nationally. This promising anti-HIV drug is now in several Phase III studies around the world.
The treatment of HIV disease might ideally involve a number of complementary strategies, which include an antiviral strategy to decrease the numbers of viral particles that disable the immune system, plus an immune-boosting strategy to heighten responses against HIV and enhance immunity in general. Although current ant
In March, the New England Journal of Medicine published the report of a child seen at the University of California at Los Angeles who was determined to be HIV-positive shortly after birth, but then somehow cleared the HIV infection. This case is very different from most infants born to HIV+ women who may test antibody-
A diagnosis of lymphoma in a person with AIDS can be especially frightening given the impact of cancer and AIDS as a combination of two life-threatening diseases. Even though research in AIDS-lymphoma has been limited, there is new hope and excitement in the field. Now, survival rates are not as grim as once thought.
The manufacturers of Protease Inhibitors, a new family of anti-HIV drugs, are racing to market. One drug maker, Abbott Pharmaceuticals, is departing from accepted industry norms by making no plans for compassionate use of its new protease drug, ABT-538; most other anti-viral drugs for AIDS have been approved following
With Pride Weekend at hand, the community once again is given that invaluable opportunity to congregate and shop en masse. It is hard to imagine a celebration with more per capita T-shirt booths than that offered here in S.F. But not all shoppers are looking for casual apparel. For people living with HIV/AIDS, the cele
It is unfortunately and undoubtedly true that young gay men are now seroconverting at an alarmingly high rate, despite the experience and the decimation of the generation of gay men immediately preceding them. When behavior modification strategies of AIDS prevention are clearly not working, it is time to revisit them,
Those doing HIV-related public policy work usually find themselves opposing destructive and/or discriminatory legislation. It is refreshing to see legislation that the HIV/AIDS community can support. One such bill is AB1408, introduced in the California state legislature by Assemblyman Antonio Villaraigosa (D-Los Angel
Diarrhea can be one of the most uncomfortable and debilitating of symptoms of any illness, but it is especially so in AIDS. Frequent watery stools can further dehydrate, cause weakness and fatigue, and lad to serious malnutrition in persons with AIDS. Now, however, there is a possible treatment with a non-habit forming
Ed Zold and Jeff Getty ACT UP/Golden Gate Writers' Pool
As sad and difficult as it is to believe, we are still engaged in a debate over one of the fundamental elements of HIV/AIDS prevention and control: HIV case reporting. Since the very beginning of the AIDS epidemic, California has offered anonymous testing for HIV infection. Currently, anonymous testing sites provide HI
Last week s ACT UP/Golden Gate Writers Pool article presented the recent history of negotiations between GCHP, community activists, and Glaxo Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of 3TC . This week, it appears as though major components of the community proposal have been deleted by Glaxo. In an unexpected last-minute
This information is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.