Can These Two Stop AIDS?

Don Hildebrand was just a few months into his retirement when he got the call from Rafi Ahmed, director of the Emory Vaccine Center.

Although Hildebrand, a 30-year veteran of the biopharmaceutical industry, was looking forward to reuniting with his hobbies and playing the stock market from his home in Athens, he was about to get pulled back into the business.

New technology developed by Emory scientist Harriet Robinson had protected 22 out of 23 monkeys from developing AIDS, and Ahmed wanted Hildebrand to help create GeoVax, a company to develop, manufacture and commercialize the potential vaccine.

Hildebrand, a gregarious, heavyset man, has always had an eye for turning a profit. As an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he and a classmate imported and sold Sri Lankan batik paintings to make a few bucks on the side.

About 12 people, mostly scientists, work at GeoVax directly, with several individuals working at other locations. Contractors around the world are hired to manufacture the vaccine.

After four years, GeoVax entered a reverse merger with Dauphin Technology Inc., making it a public company and opening it up to receive further investment. In the last six years, Hildebrand said, the company has received at least $50 million in private investments and grant money. Emory remains the largest shareholder, owning slightly more than 30 percent of GeoVax.

Hildebrand admits a larger budget would help push development and testing at a faster pace.

Robinson said.

Two virus types compose the vaccination. The DNA part works by injecting viral genes into healthy cells. This boosts the immune response against individual parts of the virus. Then, upon infection, these antibodies are more likely to recognize and destroy the virus, even if some viral genes have gained mutations.

Then the MVA component, which is a modified smallpox virus, creates a focused immune response to HIV. Although the vaccine would not prevent a HIV infection, it would prevent the development of AIDS and the destruction of the immune system.

Robinson was recruited by Emory from the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine and took up a position as the chief of the Division of Microbiology and Immunology at Yerkes National Primate Research Center in 1998.

By the time she arrived at Emory, the vaccine had been subjected to more than 15 years of trials in non-human primates. These trials revealed that the vaccine stimulated the right kind of immune responses that would protect against the development of AIDS when a person is infected with the HIV virus, Hildebrand said.

Staying One Step Ahead
At the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) meetings in Seattle in early November, it was announced that a potential vaccine produced by Merck had failed in ongoing trials in the United States and Africa. More people developed HIV in the vaccine group compared to the placebo group.

GeoVax also believes it may be able to help treat as well as prevent AIDS. Preliminary work is being performed by Emory scientist Rama Amara on monkeys already infected with the AIDS virus but still have intact immune systems.

The monkeys are put on drug treatment programs using the GeoVax vaccine to reduce the virus level in the body of individuals, then vaccinated with the GeoVax DNA and MVA vaccines and taken off the drug program.

Drug treatment programs have severe negative side effects and can cost from $15,000 to $75,000 per year, a significant hurdle for developing countries and many patients in the U.S.

This treatment method in all circumstances be used, including treatment of behavioral disorders young people, treatment of mental illness and so on. From the writings of Glazer can clearly see that he has not only the reality of the law as a system of law, but also life - a set of criteria on its philosophy of view, is still in existence and the faction. Reality therapy is now focused on the behavior of a treatment system, the treatment of teachers and to play an exemplary role in helping the parties to face the reality, and without prejudice to their own and other people on the premise meet their basic needs. Reality therapy is the main points of life must take personal responsibility, which was seen as a sign of Mental Health. Such treatment methods through a series of principles and steps to help people obtain a successful self-identification. It can be used for psychological treatment, counseling, teaching, collective work, marriage counseling, management and community development agencies and other occasions. In a sense, it exists as a guiding philosophy of the behavior modification treatment. Reality therapy that people have two basic needs: 1. Need love and the love of others. 2. Need to feel ourselves to others are valuable. Only if a person responsible life, find a psychological need to satisfy their own ways. Can we live better.n

Reality therapy has the following characteristics:

1. Reality therapy does not recognize the traditional concept in psychiatry.

2. Reality therapy focus on the present, rather than on feelings and attitudes.

3. Reality therapy focus now, rather than the past, because of a person s past is irretrievable.

4. Reality therapy that assessment. Parties should make their own behavior evaluation to determine what factors are promoting their own lives failure.

5. Reality therapy Empathy not emphasize that the traditional concept of Empathy is insignificant.

6. Reality therapy emphasized consciousness, but not unconsciousness.

7. Reality therapy abandon punishment. Glazer that behavioral therapy to change behavior through punishment is the purpose of fundamental void.

8. Reality therapy emphasize responsible concept. Responsibility is the premise of not hurting others to meet their energy needs?.

Additional information :

From www.emorywheel.com:
Reality Therapy is a particular approach in psychotherapy and counselling. It has primarily been developed by the psychiatrist Dr. William.
A form of therapy in which the patient learns to fulfill his needs of involvement and responsibility which are basic to facing and accepting.
The Media site provides media and interested individuals to read about the latest technologies and scientific advances from the Office.
For many people, the mere thought of public speaking makes their palms sweat, heart race and stomach reel. But help may be on the way in the form of virtual.
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy. Research and treatment of phobias such as fear of heights, fear of flying, and social phobias using virtual.
Fear of public speaking is one of several phobias that clinicians can treat with virtual reality therapy. Virtual environments created by Georgia.
Reality therapy is a very powerful tool for personal growth, accomplishing goals, and measuring progress. Learn more.
The idea of Reality Therapy was a technique that Dr. William Glasser, used. Reality Therapy takes a very different.