                     AIDS Daily Summary 
                       August 10, 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

"U.S. Official to Shift Funds Toward Basic AIDS Research"
New York Times (08/10/94) P. A9;  Pollack, Andrew
     Dr. William E. Paul, federal coordinator of AIDS research in the 
United States, announced at the 10th International Conference on 
AIDS that he would shave spending on clinical trials of potential
new drugs and allocate more money for the "revitalization and 
expansion" of basic AIDS research.  As efforts to develop new 
treatments and vaccines for the disease encounter one hurdle 
after another, scientists are forced to return to basic research 
in order to learn more about HIV and how it destroys the body's 
immune system, said researchers attending the conference.  Paul 
said his goal is to boost by 20 percent the amount spent on basic
research in response to grant proposals from scientists, instead 
of projects decided upon by the government.  He said the 
government would, however, continue to support efforts to develop
vaccines, but would concentrate on second-generation vaccines 
using new mechanisms.  Related Story: Los Angeles 
Times--Washington Edition (08/10) P. A1
      
"Pushing for Tests of AIDS Vaccines"
USA Today (08/10/94) P. 1D;  Levy, Doug
     Scientists participating at the 10th International Conference on 
AIDS this week in Yokohama, Japan, are trying to convince 
American health authorities that candidate vaccines are ready for
large-scale testing.  Early studies indicate that at least two 
experimental vaccines--from Genentech Inc. in San Francisco, 
Calif., and Biocene Co. in Emeryville, Calif.,--show promise.  
But National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases 
Director Anthony S. Fauci contends that the time has not yet come
for expanded human trials, saying they "may have little chance of
working" and could impart a false sense of security upon 
volunteers.  Only wider trials can provide the answers to crucial
questions about whether or not a vaccine works, and why, argues 
Dani Bolognesi of Duke University.  Related Story: Los Angeles 
Times--Washington Edition (08/10) P. A1
      
"Prostitute: Men Force Sex Minus Condoms"
United Press International (08/10/94)
     Commercial sex workers navigated the discussion on the fourth day
of the 10th International Conference on AIDS, as they testified 
that they are regularly deprived of basic human rights.  They 
said this treatment hampers global efforts to control the AIDS 
epidemic.  The prostitutes also complained that at the previous 
AIDS conferences, they were treated as objects to be studied, but
this year they felt compelled to speak out on their problems with
AIDS.  A common complaint from the group was that men who seek 
the services of prostitutes force them to have sex without the 
protection of condoms.
      
"Dentist Sues Woman for $10 Million in Libel Suit"
Richmond Times-Dispatch (08/09/94) P. B3
     Dr. Gus Vlahos, a Virginia dentist, has filed a $10 million 
lawsuit against a woman who allegedly circulated fake documents 
asserting that Vlahos has AIDS and sometimes places his patients 
at risk for infection by failing to wear protective gloves.  The 
suit charges Doris Sheppard of Dublin with two counts of libel 
and slander for allegedly making copies of the flier--which was 
printed on faked letterhead stationery from a local hospital--and
distributing them at work.  Records from Montgomery Regional 
Hospital fail to register Vlahos as ever being a patient there.  
Accompanying the lawsuit was an affidavit certifying that the 
dentist does not have AIDS or HIV.  Vlahos is seeking $5 million 
in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. 
Related Story: USA Today (08/10) P. 6A
      
"AIDS Drugs Not Getting to Women"
Philadelphia Inquirer (08/09/94) P. A1;  Collins, Huntly
     A large number of HIV-infected American women are not receiving 
the medication needed to slow disease progression or to fend off 
serious secondary infections.  Many women may be suffering 
needlessly and dying earlier than they would if they were 
receiving treatment, according to Dr. Kenneth Mayer, who is 
spearheading an ongoing study of 800 HIV-positive American women.
One-third of women who may have benefited from anti-HIV drugs 
like AZT have never taken them, and about 40 percent have never 
received antibiotics to ward off a pneumonia common among 
HIV/AIDS patients, he notes.  Follow-up studies will try to 
determine why these women are not receiving the necessary care.  
Mayer says some women may have been offered--but declined--the 
medicines, and speculates that a more likely reason is that they 
don't have access to good health care and have never been offered
the drugs.
      
"AIDS Gene Therapy Hits Virus, Helps Body"
United Press International (08/10/94);  Kelly, Janis
     On Wednesday, Dr. Flossie Wong-Staal and Dr. Philip Greenburg 
presented research that could help in the fight against AIDS.  
Wong-Staal's research group has put genes into cells that destroy
the RNA of the HIV virus, creating cells that can successfully 
fight the virus even after it has gotten in.  Greenburg and his 
associates at the Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle are trying 
to fight AIDS by manipulating the genes in CD8 white blood cells 
so that they do not require the presence of CD4 cells, the cells 
destroyed by the virus, in order to multiply.  Greenburg has also
developed a method of growing large numbers of white blood cells 
that specifically kill the AIDS virus.
      
"US Activists Slam Clinton at AIDS Conference"
Reuters (08/08/94)
     Representatives of ACT UP/New York attending the 10th 
International Conference on AIDS on Monday issued an "AIDS report
card," which they said President Clinton had flunked.  The 
activists gave Clinton "F" grades for research, for failing to 
collaborate with other heads of state on a global response to the
disease, and for not taking a stand against travel and 
immigration restrictions placed on infected persons.  The 
president received a "D" for prevention, because of what ACT UP 
said was a failure to speak out on AIDS--resulting in innumerable
new cases of HIV infection, especially among teens.
      
"Conference to Focus on Asian Epidemic, Perinatal Infection"
AIDS Alert (07/94) Vol. 9, No. 7, P. 100
     When the 10th International Conference on AIDS convenes in 
Yokohoma, Japan, Aug. 7-12, participants will focus on the 
wildfire spread of HIV in Asia, new advances in perinatal 
transmission, vaccine trials, and a growing dearth of AIDS 
caregivers.  Hosted by an Asian nation for the very first time, 
the conference is expected to attract 10,000 participants, and 
more than 4,000 abstracts from 120 countries, according to Dr. 
Naoko Yamamoto, chief executive of the conference.
      
"AIDS Research Progress Stymied by Narrow Focus, Critics Charge"
Scientist (07/11/94) Vol. 8, No. 14, P. 1;  Hoke, Franklin
     Some scientists blame the narrow focus on fundamental HIV 
investigations by the NIH leadership, which controls most of the 
funding for AIDS projects, for what they say is sluggish progress
in AIDS research.  With the second decade of the epidemic 
underway, and no cure in sight, these researchers say it is time 
to broaden research activity beyond the HIV-specific studies that
presently dominate.  Other scientists, however, argue that HIV is
still the most promising focus of AIDS research and that now is 
the time to provide extra resources in order to see these 
projects to fruition.
      
