给新型艾滋病疫苗泼点冷水

给新型艾滋病疫苗泼点冷水
2009年09月29日 17:26:34 　来源：新华网

新华网华盛顿９月２８日电（记者任海军）美国和泰国研究人员本月２４日宣布合作开发出首个具有免疫效果的艾滋病疫苗，相关国际机构和业界一片叫好。不过，细思之，这种疫苗以及艾滋病本身仍有很多未解之谜，人类应对艾滋病疫情的斗争仍非坦途。

一种有效的艾滋病疫苗需要激活人体免疫系统的两大武器——能够追踪艾滋病病毒的抗体以及识别并破坏艾滋病病毒的Ｔ细胞。但临床试验显示，美、泰研究人员开发的新型疫苗对提高上述两种武器的战斗力没有明显帮助。

此外，有效疫苗应该至少能将感染风险降低５０％，但新型艾滋病疫苗只让接种者的感染风险降低了３１．２％。世界卫生组织和联合国艾滋病规划署２４日发表联合声明说，仅仅基于目前的试验结果，还不能批准生产这种疫苗，而且这种疫苗目前只能是一种辅助手段，还不能完全取代预防艾滋病的其他措施。

实际上，尽管新型疫苗在一定程度上降低了人体感染艾滋病病毒的风险，但在５１名接种疫苗后仍感染艾滋病病毒的志愿者体内，病毒的繁殖程度与未接种者几乎没有区别。

据介绍，新型疫苗是由两种疫苗组成的“联合疫苗”，其中一种负责刺激免疫系统，使其做好攻击艾滋病病毒的准备；第二种则担当“助功手”，负责增强免疫反应。但研究人员目前尚不清楚其发挥作用的机理。为这项研究提供资金的美国陆军军医局局长埃里克·斯库梅克在成果公布后对媒体坦言：“很显然，需要进行进一步研究以弄清楚这种疫苗是如何降低（接种者的）艾滋病病毒感染率的。”

制药巨头默克公司下属的默克研究实验室负责人彼得·金在一份声明中说，科学家们需要付出更多努力以完全理解这项研究的成果以及如何开发安全、有效的艾滋病疫苗。美国国家过敏与传染病研究所所长安东尼·福奇也认为，开发出新型疫苗并非“终点”，科学家们需要确定下一步的前进方向。

毫无疑问，艾滋病病毒复杂的变异性预示着人类对抗艾滋病的长期性、艰巨性和复杂性。正如世界卫生组织和联合国艾滋病规划署在联合声明中所说，新型艾滋病疫苗获得的结果“令人鼓舞”，但人类战胜艾滋病的道路还很漫长。

To pour cold water on the new AIDS vaccine
September 29, 2009 17:26:34 Source: Xinhua

WASHINGTON, September 28 (Xinhua Ren Navy) United States and Thailand on the 24th this month, researchers announced a collaboration to develop an immunological effect of the first AIDS vaccine, the relevant international agencies and the industry a cheer. However, the fine thinking that, since these vaccines, and AIDS itself, there are still many mysteries in the human response to the struggle against the AIDS epidemic still not smooth sailing.

     An effective AIDS vaccine needs to activate the human immune system, the two weapons - the ability to track the AIDS virus antibodies, as well as to recognize and destroy HIV T-cells. But clinical trials have shown that the United States, Thai researchers have developed new vaccines to improve the fighting capacity of the above-mentioned two kinds of weapons and no apparent help.

     In addition, an effective vaccine should at least be able to reduce the risk of infection 50%, but only allow a new AIDS vaccine, vaccination reduces the risk of infection by 31.2%. World Health Organization and UNAIDS issued a joint statement said on the 24th, just based on current test results, it could not approve the production of this vaccine, and this vaccine is currently only available as a supplementary means, it can not completely replace the prevention of AIDS other measures.

     In fact, despite the new vaccine to some extent reduce the risk of being infected with HIV, but in 51 after vaccination of volunteers infected with HIV, the virus reproduction degree and non-vaccinated persons is almost no difference.

     According to reports, the new vaccine is composed of two kinds of vaccines "joint vaccine", one of which is responsible for stimulating the immune system to attack the AIDS virus do to prepare; the second would take the "help power hand" is responsible for enhancing the immune reaction. But the researchers it is not clear the mechanism of their role. Provide funding for the study of the U.S. Army Medical Secretary Eric Peter J. Schoomaker told the media after the announcement of the results, admits: "It is clear that the need for further research to find out how such a vaccine is reduced (vaccinated persons ) HIV infection rate. "

     A subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. Merck Research Laboratories Peter Kim said in a statement that scientists need to put more efforts in order to fully understand the results of this study, as well as how to develop safe and effective AIDS vaccine. United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci, director of the Institute also believes that the development of a new type of vaccine is not a "finish", the scientists need to determine the next step forward.

     There is no doubt that the complexity of the variability of HIV indicates human fight against AIDS long-term, arduous and complicated. As the World Health Organization and UNAIDS said in a joint statement, the new AIDS vaccine results "encouraging", but the human fight against AIDS is still a long way.