HIV experts call for move back to basics in search for vaccine
Several major AIDS researchers have stressed the need to get back to basic research in the search for a vaccine.
Several major AIDS researchers have stressed the need to get back to basic research in the search for a vaccine.
At the conference "25 Years of HIV" held at the Pasteur Institute in May, AIDS research pioneers Montagnier and Robert Gallo reviewed the major milestones in research over the last 25 years.
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) called for people to concentrate on filling gaps in basic research knowledge and touched on the recent failure of MRKAd5, a Merck & Co vaccine. The vaccine used an adenovirus vector and a Phase III trial, the STEP study, was called off in September 2007 when it was found that the number of infections was higher in the vaccinated group than in the placebo group.
Jean-Francois Delfraissy, director of the French national agency for AIDS research (ANRS) said thaty new ideas and new teams were needed, particularly in the cell biology field.
Gary Nabel, director of the Vaccine Research Center in Bethesda, Maryland, reviewed the pitfalls linked to the mutability of the virus that make finding an effective vaccine so difficult. He considers it is highly unlikely there will be a vaccine available before 2018.
French health minister, Roselyne Bachelot, called for intensification and diversification of research. She expressed the hope that basic research would soon get its second wind in France.
NIH general director Alice Dautry said that the Pasteur conference will see the signing of a scientific collaboration agreement between the Institute and the NIH. The aim of the agreement is to facilitate exchanges of personnel between the two organisations.