MEDICAL UPDATE: Recombinant GP120 Vaccine


MEDICAL UPDATE: Recombinant GP120 Vaccine

Being Alive Newsletter, Being Alive/Los Angeles - June 1992
Mark Katz MD and reported by Jim Stoecker

One very new approach to boosting the immune system is the use of a vaccination after infection with HIV. The vaccine is some form of killed HIV. The hypothesis is that, when injected with this vaccine, the HIV+ person develops antibodies to the virus, as happens when first infected, and that these antibodies help to ward off further progression of the disease. The vaccine, in effect, boosts the body's own ability to fight the virus.

One vaccine currently being tested uses recombinant gp120. The substance gp120 is a protein on the wall of the virus. It is not able to cause infection by itself, since it contains no genetic material, but gp120 does appear to cause the body to develop HIV antibodies. Recombinant simply means that the substance is made outside the body using genetic engineering technology.

UCLA is currently recruiting participants with CD4 counts over 500 for a study of recombinant gp120 vaccines. Two different strains of gp120 will be tested. This is a six strata study which means that one in six will get a placebo and five in six will get some form of gp120 vaccination. If qualified and interested, call UCLA at 310.206.6414.

Some researchers believe that vaccination after infection will become a major component of therapy for HIV infection. This is an exciting new approach to restoring immune system functioning.
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