Research Initiative Treatment Action (RITA!); Vol 5, No. 5 December 1999
L. Joel Martinez

Dear Readers,

Trying to keep up with the science and treatment of HIV often seems like an endless repetition and regurgitation of concepts and facts. "This is how the immune system works, this is why cells get infected, this is why infection cannot be eliminated, etc." These and many other concepts are the stuff of the daily lives of AIDS activists. It is easy to forget that concepts, accepted presently as fact, started as mere conjecture or intuition. In the end, science is merely the verification of a person's imaginative process.

In the spirit of nurturing and promoting this process, RITA! asked activists around the country, what needs to happen to cure AIDS? It is a difficult and daunting question. It is a question that distances us from what is real and palpable into the realm of what doesn't yet exist. It is easier to become involved in the minutiae of viral loads, resistance mutations and pharmacokinetics than it is to step back, evaluate the existing evidence, and think globally about the problem.

The answers received varied considerably. Some activists seek the solution in more potent, less toxic antivirals. Others envision scenarios of immunological control without drugs. One response gave us clear and concise directives: "we need money, collaboration and coordination, and plenty of them." The cure is out there. We must imagine it first. The answers are compiled in an article on page 5 of this issue.

While cures are still in a future realm, lipodystrophy is present and real. The physical manifestations of this disorder are all around us. The rush to identify the causes of lipodystrophy has resulted in a collision of theories. Different scientists and pharmaceutical companies have bandied about so many theoretical constructs that it is, in the words of activist Tim Horn, nothing short of a "lipodrama." We still await the first signs of real proof or solution. To this point, all is still theory. Tim's article on the subject of lipodystrophy is the latest recap of this developing story. (See "Lipodrama" on page 13 of this issue.)

Finally, The Center for AIDS wishes to welcome Tom Gegeny as a new member to our staff. Tom will take over as editor of RITA! and of the RITA! Fax Newsletter as soon as he gets a chance to get his feet wet. While editing RITA! for the past year has been a labor of love, I am delighted to pass the baton to fresh and capable hands. Tom comes to us from the Houston Academy of Medicine - Texas Medical Center Library, where he is currently employed as a Publications Specialist. We are happy and excited to have him join our cause.

Very truly yours,

The Center for AIDS:
Hope & Remembrance Project
L. Joel Martinez
Acting Editor

19991210
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Copyright © 1999 - Research Initiative Treatment Action (RITA!). Reproduced with permission. RITA! is published by The Center for AIDS. Contact Thomas Gegeny, MS, ELS, Editor, RITA! for permission to reproduce RITA!. tom@centerforaids.org. http://www.centerforaids.org

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