Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1994. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Associated Press - Friday, June 10, 1994
Authors of the study say a 1992 report that found the drug effective in animal studies was highly flawed. They say a respected journal that published the report squelched doubts later raised about it.
The authors emphasized that their findings do not necessarily mean the drug is ineffective.
SP-PG is being tested in seven patients at the University of Southern California, the Chicago Tribune reported Thursday. Several subjects have experienced unexpected bleeding and other side effects, and only two appear to have improved since taking the drug, the newspaper said.
A university spokesman could not immediately provide details.
Kaposi's sarcoma can he highly aggressive in AIDS patients, usually spreading up from the legs. In internal organs, it can cause severe bleeding.
Available treatments often have toxic side effects, and scientists want to find a more tolerable remedy.
Doctors and AIDS patients had high hopes after a 1992 report published in the journal Science indicated that a compound from soil bacteria blocked the growth of Kaposi's sarcoma in laboratory mice.
That study, supervised by Dr. Robert C. Gallo of the National Cancer Institute, found that the bacterial extracted sulfated polysaccharide peptidoglycan, or SPPG, fought Kaposi's sarcoma better than drugs commonly used against it.
"It really prevents the development of lesions," Gallo said at the time.
But scientists at the University of Arizona College of Medicine at Tucson this week reported that the Gallo study had grave problems. They said they have been unable to duplicate its results, a key step in establishing the validity of a finding.
"This article seemed to be offering some drug treatment that might be useful," said Dr. Marlys H. Witte, a professor of surgery at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. "When we read it, many important questions were raised. The answers that we were given were not legitimate or relevant."
Her team's criticisms were published in Wednesday's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
It notes that Gallo' group injected blue dye into the veins of the mice in order to observe varying rates of tumor growth, necessary to establish the effectiveness of SP-PG. But photographs in the Gallo study showed the mice's tails were solid blue at the injection sites, suggesting botched injections that would have skewed the results.
The Arizona team presented its findings and questions to editors at Sciences who rejected a request to publish them, the researchers said.
Copyright (c) 1994. Reproduced with Permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Permissions Desk, Associated Press, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY CA 10020.
940610
AP940610
Copyright © 1994 - Associated Press. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the AP Permissions Desk.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1994. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1994. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .