Washington Blade - October 28, 2005

SEATTLE (AP) - Test results from an experimental vaccine to treat HIV patients is showing promising results, which have prompted researchers to double the number of volunteers involved in the international study. The vaccine is the most promising in 20 years, say scientists with the international HIV Vaccine Trials Network based here. They've found much stronger immune responses than in earlier tests and discovered that the vaccine may protect against more types of the virus, thereby providing possible broader application. "We're really excited about it," said Dr. Julie McElrath, a Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center scientist who directs the network lab program and heads the Seattle vaccine clinic. "It's the one out in front." The network plans to double its number of volunteers from 1,500 to 3,000 internationally, increasing the number locally from 50 to 100. Testing of the vaccine, called the Step Study, will continue for nearly five years. If shown to be truly effective against the virus, it could be widely available to the public in about seven years, McElrath told the Seattle Times.

Interferon-linked protein may lead to HIV vaccine

NEW YORK - A newly discovered cellular pathway may help scientists find a way to develop a new type of vaccine against HIV, HealthDay News reported. After HIV infection, disease progression is linked to the decreased presence of plasmacytoid dendritic cells, which are major producers of interferon, an immune protein. Researchers at New York University told HealthDay that high numbers of such cells are linked to successful control of HIV. In a new study published online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation this month, scientists conclude a decrease in human plasmacytoid dendritic cells follows infections suffered by patients who are HIV-positive, and corresponds with a high viral load and susceptibility to infections, the NYU team reported.

Palm Beach County commission OKs domestic partner benefits

FORT LAUDERDALE - Palm Beach County commissioners last week agreed to offer domestic partner benefits to employees, but the health coverage will cost more for such partners, the Sun-Sentinel reported. Gay, lesbian and heterosexual unmarried workers will be able to receive benefits similar to married spouses of employees, but they will have to pay a share of monthly premiums that the county covers for heterosexual couples that are married. The extension of benefits begins Jan. 1. Commissioners voted 4-3 for the measure, which means that instead of paying $91 per month that a county employee pays for a married spouse's health coverage, those with domestic partners would pay $440.97 per month to obtain health coverage for their partner, according to Nancy Bolton, county risk management director. Gay rights activists said the commission's move is a "great step," but the benefits should not cost domestic partners any more than other county workers' spouses.

Researchers find more teens turning to Internet for sex info

WASHINGTON - Surveys show that the Internet is a major source of sex education, whether accurate or not, for teenagers in the United States, USA Today reported. Researchers at an American Academy of Pediatrics meeting last week reported that about half of teens search online for health information. Most teens have more questions about sex than any other topic, researchers noted. Gay teens in particular are believed to utilize the Internet since many are unsure or are hiding their sexual orientation and they can obtain data online anonymously. Answers they find on the Web, however, range from scientific to dangerous misinformation.

Study reveals extent of damage AIDS inflicts on the brain

LOS ANGELES - AIDS inflicts a selective pattern of destruction on certain brain regions, according to an imaging study that shows the pattern for the first time, Xagena Medicine reported on its Web site. The study, done at the University of California - Los Angeles and the University of Pittsburgh, shows that AIDS harms brain sections that control motor, language and sensory functions. Magnetic resonance images or MRI illustrate the damage via high-resolution 3-D color scans. The research, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, gives scientists a new way to measure the impact of AIDS on the living brain. "Two big surprises came out of this study," Paul Thompson, first author and at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, told Xagena. "First, that AIDS is selective in how it attacks the brain. Second, drug therapy does not appear to slow the damage. The brain provides a sanctuary for HIV where most drugs cannot follow."

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