Dear Dr. Pierone, Recent reports from from Immunitor USA Inc., College Park, MD 20740, USA, the Human Biology Research Center (HBRC), Hadassah University Hospital, Ein-Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel, eFaculte de Medecine Broussais-Hotel Dieu-EHESS, 54 Blvd Raspail, 75006 Paris, France, and others, found that HIV+ patients often have T cell autoimmunity. Small pilot studies have confirmed this, by use of a vaccine that induces immune tollerance of T cells. Could you, or one of your ACTG colleagues please write a proposal for a similar study?

Is the concept of inducing tolerance patented?

How expensive might the preparation of such a vaccine be? And would the vaccine need to be patient specific?

Regards, Tom

References:

http://www.hadassah.org.il/NR/exeres/5A6E712C-44AB-4516-A864-3D24D30DBCD7.htm

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VJV-4DFNFG5-2&_user=10&_handle=V-WA-A-W-AZ-MsSAYWW-UUA-U-AAWWZVABZY-AAWUWWWAZY-WUUUAYEVD-AZ-U&_fmt=summary&_coverDate=12%2F01%2F2004&_rdoc=5&_orig=browse&_srch=%23toc%236104%232004%23999689999.8998%23554979!&_cdi=6104&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=1396d4688ef938adc509632c2ef6f745

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_aset=V-WA-A-W-YU-MsSAYVW-UUA-U-AAWWYVCECV-AAWUVWZDCV-WUCDYZZAB-YU-U&_rdoc=2&_fmt=summary&_udi=B6T75-4FX20PX-1&_coverDate=05%2F17%2F2005&_cdi=5049&_orig=search&_st=13&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=4209d324adf3c421f18109baf1b78946

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_aset=V-WA-A-W-YU-MsSAYVW-UUA-U-AAWWYVCECV-AAWUVWZDCV-WUCDYZZAB-YU-U&_rdoc=3&_fmt=summary&_udi=B6TD4-4F91Y8V-3&_coverDate=03%2F18%2F2005&_cdi=5188&_orig=search&_st=13&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=16723cb49d807fcbedeefaec50556f0b

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_aset=V-WA-A-W-YU-MsSAYVW-UUA-U-AAWWYVCECV-AAWUVWZDCV-WUCDYZZAB-YU-U&_rdoc=4&_fmt=summary&_udi=B6W8V-4FFTP3W-1&_coverDate=02%2F10%2F2005&_cdi=6664&_orig=search&_st=13&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=dee1a1e2e704790519927236e6aaaf7b

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_aset=V-WA-A-W-YU-MsSAYVW-UUA-U-AAWWYVCECV-AAWUVWZDCV-WUCDYZZAB-YU-U&_rdoc=6&_fmt=summary&_udi=B6VJV-4DKM0VF-1&_coverDate=12%2F01%2F2004&_cdi=6104&_orig=search&_st=13&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=c40118a5202de2cc0ef7a01cda631390

Hello and thanks for posting. The references regarding immune tolerance are very interesting and it sounds like the investigators are pursuing some of these leads. I don¡t think that the notion of inducing tolerance can be patented since immune-based therapy based on this principle have been used for decades in allergy desensitization

Not to throw cold water on your request, but generally an investigator needs to get really excited about a particular research project in order to put in the enormous effort to write a research protocol and attempt to get funding.

Speaking of funding, I am not affiliated with the ACTG (which is mainly an academic oriented collaboration) and don¡t have influence with this organization. However, the National Institute of Health (NIH) provides funding through the NAIAD and is attempting to re-organize the AIDS research infrastructure. We will see how successful this effort is in the spring of 2006 when the new grants are awarded. We will see if some young, dynamic, and innovative groups are allowed entry (like ours ) or if the same old crew continue to do very expensive, boring, and predictable studies several years after they are clinically relevant. Stay tuned!