Via Seattle Gay Scene
The Internet and news media is abuzz with the news that a study is being published in the medical journal, Science that examined why some HIV positive patients never become ill or symptomatic with AIDS related illnesses. An international team of researchers that included Seattle's Dr Rob Killian, of the Capitol Hill Medical Clinic have cracked the mystery after years of research that involved 1.4 million pieces of DNA and discovered that five amino acids are the difference between the relatively healthy lives led by about 2% of HIV positive patients and the illnesses and powerful drugs that shadow the lives of the other 98%. While the researchers caution it could be years before this leads to an effective HIV vaccine, it is a positive step in the right direction. And while his colleagues were more cautious, Dr Killian noted this in a message he released today:
1. There is a different immune response in general in that small amount of HIV infected individuals that never get sick with HIV. This immune response is directly related to specific proteins that are created in their antibody response.
2. Knowing these proteins and how to make vaccines, we will now begin to move towards a vaccine production process to create an effective immune response in everyone with HIV in the world to mimic the natural immunity these small percentage of humans create naturally against HIV.
3. This is not a cure for HIV. But, it is a road map to the end of the disease that HIV causes. That is the miracle and the good news of today.
4. Multiple questions still need to be answered. How will this vaccine be produced and what will it take to give all people with HIV a natural immunity against the virus. What does this mean for the cocktail drug therapies that are currently being used to allow people to thrive and survive with HIV? What will knowing this vaccine is coming do to those at ongoing and great risk of becoming infected with HIV?
5. This is the most hopeful I have been in my career about the fight against HIV. I believe we are now looking at the destination that millions of us have hoped for: which is the end of this scourge among humanity.
You can read all of Dr Killian's statement on the Capitol Hill Medical Clinic Facebook page or on Dr Killian's personal webpage.
This sounds like it's not the end of HIV/AIDS but at least it could be the BEGINNING of the end. It's welcome news and thanks to Dr Killian and the many other people who worked on this team.
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