快猫短视频

TWO government agencies in the US are about to waste tens of millions of
dollars by running separate trials of almost identical AIDS vaccination regimes,
claims a controversial commentary in Nature.

In it, John Moore, an AIDS researcher at Cornell University鈥檚 Weill Medical
College in New York City, argues that one of the two vaccine trials planned for
2002 should be scrapped. One is led by the US Department of Defense, the other
by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Both trials will test very similar
vaccine regimes: a dose of canary pox virus engineered to express HIV-1
proteins, followed by a booster shot of the HIV protein gp120.

The duplication is the result of competition between the rival agencies and
has little scientific rationale, Moore argues. Together the trials will involve
25,000 volunteers and cost more than $100 million. Yet few experts
believe this vaccination regime will protect people from infection, Moore
claims. Researchers may learn something nevertheless, but that only justifies
doing one trial, he says.

Moore fears that more failed trials will erode public confidence that an
effective vaccine can be found. He recommends that the NIH put its weight behind
the defence department trial, as it is due to begin first.

The NIH wasn鈥檛 able to provide an official response before New
快猫短视频went to press. But one government AIDS researcher, who didn鈥檛 want
to be identified, was angered by Moore鈥檚 charges. The two trials cannot be
combined because they were designed for groups with different risks of
infection, he says. And we won鈥檛 know if it works unless we test it in
people.

But Dennis Burton, an AIDS researcher at the Scripps Research Institute in
California, says many researchers agree with Moore. 鈥淚f this was a vaccine that
held real promise, the situation would be different,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut it doesn鈥檛
merit such a huge investment.鈥�

Since the NIH鈥檚 trial plans haven鈥檛 been finalised, Burton expects Moore鈥檚
article to trigger a lively debate. But Moore himself told New
快猫短视频 that he was too busy to discuss the article. 鈥淎lso,鈥� he says, 鈥淚
don鈥檛 really want to add fuel to any fire I have ignited.鈥�