Will there ever be a Vaccine to HIV?

[Duane James Funk]

I have to agree that there will not be a vaccine for several reasons:

	1.  The virus genome is RNA, which has a mutation rate that is 
	    several times higher than DNA viruses.

	2.  The gp120 protein has a variable region that exhibits 
	    variability normally seen in Immunoglobulins.  This 
  	    variability occurs in a part of gp120 that is not 
            necessary for entry into cells.

	3.  The virus can remain dormant and has immunosupressive 
    	    activities (for eg. it decreases MHC I expression).

and most importantly:
	4.  Since HIV cannot infect monkeys (standard vaccine testers) 
who will test a vaccine even if one is available?  The infectious dose of 
HIV is estimated to be very low.


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"I'll be brief and short and to the point..."
                                Duane                  
	University of Manitoba; Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada