7 years ago
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Five HIV patients left 'virus-free' with no need for daily drugs in early vaccine trials
A new vaccine-based treatment for HIV has succeeded in suppressing the virus in five patients, raising hopes further research could help prevent Aids without the need for daily drugs. Researchers combined two innovative HIV vaccines with a drug usually used to treat cancer in the trial, conducted over three years at the IrsiCaixa Aids Research Institute in Barcelona. After receiving the treatment, the virus was undetectable in five out of 24 participants and its spread was stopped by their immune systems...
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http://www.independent.co.uk
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It's great to hear that we're making progress on HIV vaccine, however, this is yet another exciting headline which doesn't reflect the reality of the study.
The key is that out of 15 patients who received the vaccine booster,in 10 of the participants, the virus rapidly bounced back. Five participants have no detectable virus 7 months, 6, 14, 19 and 21 weeks.
So for the majority of the participants the vaccine in it's current form failed. The rest have been free from virus a really short time, it could still reappear. Indeed, the New Scientist article, which this article was based upon, mentions cases of the virus returning months and even years after other reported "cures".
Let's hope for the best and wait for the results of the follow ups and other clinical trials. Yet, be careful of those sensational headlines.