Western announces HIV vaccine breakthrough

University bids on $88 million facility to produce vaccine

TORONTO (CUP) — A University of Western Ontario researcher has produced an experimental HIV vaccine that is approaching human trials.

Using a technique similar to Jonas Salk's famous polio vaccine, which is now verging on completely eliminating that disease from the world, Dr. Chil-Yong Kang's treatment involves the injection of a killed whole HIV-1 into the recipient.

Dr. Kang's method differs from previous attempts, which have only utilized a portion of the HIV virus.

“We have engineered a virus in such a way that it can be produced in larger quantities in shorter periods of time and . . . doesn't cause the disease," he told Canwest News.

“We have tested animals and they do respond to the vaccine and we now have to try it in humans.”

HIV is the virus that leads to AIDS by damaging the immune system. The World Health Organization estimates that there were 33.2 million people living with HIV in 2007, and that 2.1 million died of AIDS.

On Dr. Kang's UWO website, he describes his research as an attempt to produce “an effective vaccine to prevent AIDS” by creating “pseudovirions” that “produce protective immune responses.”

“These pseudovirions, carrying many important regions of both internal proteins and external envelope proteins of AIDS virus, will be used to generate the neutralizing antibodies which will prevent the virus infection and also generate cytotoxic T lymphocytes, which are designed to kill and destroy the AIDS virus-infected cells in the body,” reads the site.

The HIV breakthrough is only days away from the toxicology testing that will determine if such clinical trials are safe.

Dr. Kang expects results from these tests within three months, meaning the first stage of testing on HIV-positive humans could potentially begin in the spring.

The work will have to be done in the U.S., however, because Canada lacks the facilities necessary for such testing. UWO is one of four organizations being considered by the federal government to receive $88 million to build the country's first “Pilot Scale HIV vaccine manufacturing facility,” according to a press release issued by the university on Wednesday.

Ted Hewitt, UWO's VP of research and international relations, seized upon Dr. Kang's breakthrough to bolster Western's bid for this facility.

“We have our work cut out for us, as I am sure the competition will be tough, but London and Western have a great history of research and manufacturing success. This is exemplified by the leading research of Dr. Yong Kang in developing an HIV/AIDS vaccine,” said Hewitt.

The other three organizations under consideration have yet to be announced, but UWO is the only contender from Ontario.

London Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best said that her city “now has an opportunity to show that we can play a key role in saving lives around the world. We are ready,” said Best.
Previous Article
Next Article