Smallpox Vaccine Could Prevent AIDS

An anonymous reader writes "Researchers at George Mason University have published a preliminary report which suggests that the Smallpox vaccine might be able to slow the spread of AIDS. Various news stories have suggested that it may be due to the vaccine interacting with the CCR5 receptor, which is a cellular infection route in another related poxvirus, and also commented on the rise of AIDS in the years after smallpox was declared eradicated and the smallpox vaccine was no longer given as a matter of course."

Comments

Re:Study the recently vaccinated.

[IshanCaspian]

Yes, but the sexual behavior of the US military is hardly indicative of the larger population.

Re:Study the recently vaccinated.

[crow]

While your point is valid, the military should have excellent records as to cases of AIDS among its personnel. So while they wouldn't be able to compare against the general population, they could compare against the expected number based on military statistics.

Of course, troop behaviour changes depending on deployment, so it may still be impossible to generate statistically-significant results.

On the other hand, there is also the population of health care workers who were vaccinated. Study them.

Hope

[Anonymous Coward]

I just hope that people don't use this announcement, and others like it, to convince theirselves that it's a-okay to go out there and bleep people without protection. I remember reading recently a story, I believe it was in the New York Times but I might be mistaken, that more and more youths (teenagers to those in their upper 20s), feel that AIDS and other STDs are under enough control that they no longer need to use preventive measures.

I've seen two people I cared about very much die due to AIDS over the years. It's a horrible and painful way to go, both for the person infected and for the family and friends involved. If a risk only involves you, that's one thing. But the risk of AIDS involves you, your partner(s), and those who care and love you.

Re:Hope

[Molina the Bofh]

I see three main reasons for youngsters to make sex without protection:

It's so much more pleasurable. Whoever says it's not is either cynical or haven't been laid.

People who have HIV usually takes about 10 years totally normal till they develop AIDS. With already available medication, they can live for an indefinite time more. In 10 years, medications are expected to be much better and have fewer collateral effects. Specially considering that in 10-15 years genetic therapy will probably already be available.

Youngsters tend to give more importance to the present than to the future. Therefore the pleasure with drugs/smoking/unsafe sex/something risky outweighs the risks on the future.

While older people are more afraid of it because:

Many have already seen the shocking scene of someone agonizing with AIDS, and being diagnosed with AIDS was like a death sentence.

They tend to be more conservative and think on the long run.

Re:Hope

[penguin7of9]

With already available medication, they can live for an indefinite time more.

That's a dangerous myth. Yes, some people are long term survivors. Yes, medication has helped some. But HIV/AIDS is still a disease that greatly shortens life expectancy. And the treatments are often disfiguring and have serious side-effects. And then there is just the hassle and expense of it all.

In 10 years, medications are expected to be much better and have fewer collateral effects. Specially considering that in 10-15 years genetic therapy will probably already be available.

That's a big gamble, given that so much is still not understood about HIV.

[Older people] tend to be more conservative and think on the long run.

Yes, that's because many of the "less conservative" thinkers have eliminated themselves from the population before becoming old.

Re:Study the recently vaccinated.

[Elwood P Dowd]

No, that wouldn't be a problem at all.

You test them all now. Also test a large group of healthcare workers that were not vaccinated.

In five years, you test them all again.

Compare the deltas.

No, it's not the most conclusive peice of evidence ever, but it'd be very very interesting.

Re:fucking patents

[Anonymous Coward]

You did not work for it.

It came from the hard work of scientists.

If tomorrow, you get saved, they know they dont get anything but a thank you. You can't eat a "thank you", you know?

Okay? understood my point? they have every right to get money for the work done.

think a bit

[boarder]

Have you ever considered that maybe they patented it so that some large corporation COULDN'T? This could be a goodwill patent, similar to releasing code under the GPL (nobody can horde it completely for themselves).

Also, if I make or discover something that completely changes the world and makes it an amazingly better place, you better fscking believe I'm going to patent it and make money. I would release it to the world at a fair price (i.e. not marking it up 1000% like most drug companies), but make some money on it.