                     AIDS Daily Summary 
                      October 20, 1994

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National AIDS
Clearinghouse makes available the following information as a public
service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement
by the CDC, the CDC Clearinghouse, or any other organization. Reproduction
of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC
Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information.
Copyright 1994, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD


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"Teens Flock to Hear Johnson on AIDS"
"Across the USA: Connecticut/Nebraska"
"Initiative Would Speed Spread of TB, Study Says"
"New York University Medical Center Calls Attention to the 
November 1994 Issue of the Journal of Virology, Which Reports a 
Breakthrough in Neutralizing the HIV Virus"
"Cytel Awarded $1.6 Million in NIH Contract"
"Loni Anderson Introduces Desk Diary to Benefit L.A. Shanti and 
the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation"
"AIDSLine: Cytomegalovirus Treatments"
"Confronting the AIDS Vaccine Challenge"
"Setting Up an AIDS Policy"
"Government at Its Best: 15 More Innovative Programs"
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"Teens Flock to Hear Johnson on AIDS"
Baltimore Sun (10/20/94) P. 2A
     Teenagers filled the bleachers at the Laguna Beach (Calif.) High 
School gym to hear former Los Angeles Laker Magic Johnson speak 
about HIV, and how he is coping with his own infection.  "I just 
live," said Johnson.  "You get up in the morning and you take 
your medicine and you work out for two hours."  He advocated 
abstinence to teens, and urged safe sex for those who will not 
abstain.  Johnson, 35, announced that he was HIV-positive in 
1991.
      
"Across the USA: Connecticut/Nebraska"
USA Today (10/20/94) P. 10A
     Two states recently announced AIDS-related news.  In New Haven, 
Conn., more than 2,300 condoms were distributed by school clinics
during the first year of an AIDS prevention program.  The condoms
are available to students starting in the fifth grade.  And in 
Omaha, Neb., the Charles Drew Health Center will receive $1 
million over the course of four years to provide mental health 
services to blacks with AIDS.
      
"Initiative Would Speed Spread of TB, Study Says"
Los Angeles Times--Washington Edition (10/19/94) P. B1;  Shuit, 
Douglas P.
     Proposition 187, the anti-illegal immigrant initiative, would 
accelerate the spread of tuberculosis in California by driving 
illegal immigrants underground, predicts a study released 
Wednesday.  The initiative would require health-care 
professionals to report undocumented immigrants to the U.S. 
Immigration and Naturalization Service.  "If you scare people 
away...they aren't going to come in early," which is crucial to 
containing the disease, said Dr. Shirley Fannin, chief of disease
control programs for Los Angeles County.  The study, led by 
researchers at the University of California, showed that, under 
current law, most undocumented immigrants with tuberculosis 
believe they are safe from deportation, even when they go for 
medical treatment.  California Gov. Pete Wilson, an active 
supporter of Proposition 187, said that if the initiative passes,
services that are necessary to protect the public health will 
continue to be provided.  With 1,940 cases reported in 1993, Los 
Angeles is second only to New York City in terms of number of 
tuberculosis cases.
      
"New York University Medical Center Calls Attention to the 
November 1994 Issue of the Journal of Virology, Which Reports a 
Breakthrough in Neutralizing the HIV Virus"
Business Wire (10/19/94)
     The New York University Medical Center recently drew attention to
the November 1994 issue of the Journal of Virology, which reports
the use of a human monoclonal antibody to neutralize HIV.  One of
the authors of the report, Dr. Susan Zolla-Pazner of NYU Medical 
Center, says that this is the first instance of a human 
monoclonal antibody effectively neutralizing the majority of 
clinically derived viruses in a laboratory setting.  She says 
these findings contradict previous studies suggesting that 
"primary viruses" from patients are difficult or impossible to 
neutralize.  Clinical trials may begin next year and, if 
successful, may lead to more definitive trials--including tests 
of the antibody's ability to prevent perinatal HIV transmission.
      
"Cytel Awarded $1.6 Million in NIH Contract"
Business Wire (10/19/94)
     The National Institutes of Health has awarded a $1.6 million 
contract to Cytel Corporation to expand Cytel's Theradigm 
technology.  The five-year contract focuses on applying knowledge
of the major histocompatibility complex system to develop 
therapeutic vaccines for malaria, HIV, and to expand of the 
company's hepatitis B program.  Cytel's approach is designed to 
specifically activate cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in humans.  
Each Theradigm drug is designed to induce a specific CTL response
against a single disease by adding a antigenic peptide--specific 
to the disease--to the general Theradigm model.  Theradigm-HBV is
currently in Phase II clinical trials.
      
"Loni Anderson Introduces Desk Diary to Benefit L.A. Shanti and 
the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation"
PR Newswire (10/19/94)
     On Nov. 10, a reception will be held to benefit L.A. Shanti and 
the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.  At the reception, Loni 
Anderson will introduce a 1994 desk diary--proceeds of which will
also benefit the two organizations.  The desk diary contains 
photographs of 12 of the most beautiful and famous actresses, all
of whom have donated their time for the cause--including Anderson
herself, Elizabeth Taylor, and Diahann Carroll.  L.A. Shanti 
offers free emotional support counseling and education to people 
with HIV, AIDS, and other illnesses.  The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS 
Foundation distributes funds to worthy community-based AIDS 
groups throughout the United States.
      
"AIDSLine: Cytomegalovirus Treatments"
Advocate (10/18/94) No. 666, P. 33;  Cohan, Gary R.
     Cytomegalovirus is an infection that causes, in healthy people, a
mononucleosis-type illness marked by several weeks of fatigue and
low-grade fever that resolves itself.  It has an exposure rate of
over 50 percent in the general population, but almost 95 percent 
of gay men test positive for CMV antibodies.  In the weakened 
immune system of an HIV-infected person, CMV can reactivate and 
cause vision problems (retinitis), bowel inflammation, diarrhea 
(colitis), and esophagitis.  A small percentage of AIDS patients 
will experience persistent fevers, pneumonia, hepatitis, nerve 
problems, or brain inflammation due to CMV.  Presently, there is 
no effective way to prevent CMV complications in people with 
AIDS.  People who are most at risk have less than 100 T cells.  
Treatments are available for the illnesses, but they have side 
effects--such as ganciclovir, which suppresses the bone marrow's 
production of red and white blood cells.
      
"Confronting the AIDS Vaccine Challenge"
Technology Review (10/94) Vol. 97, No. 7, P. 23;  Essex, Max
     The best chance for protection from HIV comes when an individual 
receives a vaccine that exactly matches the virus to which he was
exposed.  Thus, there will have to be a variety of vaccines 
developed based on subtype, stage of infection, and route of 
transmission.  Most prototype AIDS vaccines have been prepared to
protect against subtype B, which is found mainly in Americans and
Europeans.  These vaccine antigens, however, are better suited to
therapeutic use--the boosting of the immune response in someone 
already infected.  Researchers must concentrate their efforts to 
develop preventive vaccines that are based on HIV subtypes found 
in Africa and Asia. Prototypes for these subtypes can be tested 
much faster and less expensively than those that target subtype B
because fewer participants are needed when the rates of 
infections are so high.
      
"Setting Up an AIDS Policy"
Inc. (10/94) Vol. 16, No. 10, P. 121;  Carney, Karen E.
     The standards promoted by the National Leadership Coalition on 
AIDS can be used as the foundation for a workplace AIDS policy.  
NLCOA's principles include compliance with federal, state, and 
local ordinances for disabilities; a policy of nondiscrimination;
confidentiality of medical and health-insurance information; and 
continuing education for AIDS and other illnesses.  The NLCOA 
offers two booklets: "Sample Policies," which describes 
guidelines from 13 companies, and "Accomodating Employees with 
HIV Infection and AIDS," which details case studies of 10 
companies and explains accomodations, as well as their costs and 
benefits.
      
"Government at Its Best: 15 More Innovative Programs"
Governing (10/94) Vol. 8, No. 1, P. 36
     The CARE/Project HOME AIDS Program of the Maryland Department of 
Human Resources is one of 15 finalists for the 1994 Innovations 
in State and Local Government Awards.  The program provides 
private-home housing for HIV-positive single adults, which saves 
them money--compared to nursing homes--and improves the quality 
of their lives.  The Ford Foundation awarded $20,000 to each 
finalist.
      
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