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UA AIDS research to begin human clinical trials

Human volunteer clinical trials - labeled Phase 1 - have been approved by the FDA for a drug therapy that two UA researchers think could allow AIDS patients to live a normal life.

Last year, John Marchalonis, University of Arizona professor of microbiology and immunology, and Ronald Watson, research professor at the UA prevention center, developed a peptide - a protein-like structure - therapy that restored the immunity of mice. The mice were infected with a retrovirus very similar to AIDS.

"Mice develop a syndrome very similar to AIDS if infected with leukemia," Marchalonis said. "We found that if we gave the peptide to mice before or after infection we could restore their immune system."

Allergene, a private biotechnology company in San Mateo, Calif., acquired the rights to Marchalonis' and Watson's technology, for which the two researchers have a patent.

"In the Phase 1 clinical trial, the peptides will be given to HIV-positive human volunteers to determine whether it is harmful - whether there are any side effects," Marchalonis said.

Bill Friedman, Allergene spokesman, said tests will begin in "the fall or earlier."

When HIV attacks the body, it causes the immune system to stop functioning by disabling T-cells, which stimulate or activate virtually all other cells involved in immune protection.

When T-cell numbers drop below a certain level, people with HIV can no longer fight off infection.

The peptide therapy does not attack the HIV virus. Rather, it is designed to maintain a normal immune system even in patients with AIDS.

"Most AIDS drugs are aimed at killing the virus," Watson said. "This is a novel approach - using this unique peptide that Dr. Marchalonis developed we were able to keep the immune system in balance."

Marchalonis said this treatment could be especially effective if combined with current AIDS treatments which attack the HIV virus.

"Our treatment would keep people from infections and parasites," he said. "It could enable HIV-positive people to live a healthy, normal life."

Watson cautioned that this therapy is not an HIV vaccine, and that the only way to effectively combat AIDS is to reduce the HIV infection rate.