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Paris –
Scientists have made significant progress in the search for a vaccine against the HIV AIDS virus. An active substance has produced an immune response in humans and protected monkeys against the infection, said the newspaper "The Lancet" on Saturday. In a second time, the drug will be tested on 2,600 women in South Africa. "The results are promising, but we have to be careful," said medical professor Dan Barouch of Harvard University, AFP news agency. The data do not prove that humans could be protected from HIV by the vaccine.
Immunization protects two-thirds of tested monkeys
In a laboratory study, 72 monkeys were injected with the active substance and an HIV-like virus. Two-thirds of the animals were therefore completely protected from infection by the vaccine. Barouch and his team also conducted a study of 393 healthy adults aged 18 to 50 from East Africa, South Africa, Thailand, and the United States. . Part of the group received the active substance, the remaining participants received only one placebo. Medical professor Barouch said the drug tested "triggered strong immune responses in humans." In addition, the remedy caused side effects in only a few participants – five of them complained of stomach upset and diarrhea, dizziness or back pain.
Research goes into the next phase
Therefore, vaccine research should now move to the next phase: The drug will be injected to 2,600 women in South Africa to see if it can actually prevent AIDS. The results are expected in 2021/2022. Finding an AIDS vaccine is extremely difficult because the HIV virus is very adaptable. Globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 37 million people are infected with HIV or already living with AIDS. Each year, about 1.8 million people newly infected with the virus, which destroys the body's immune system. About a million people die each year. (afp)
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