Candice Wiggins helps create awareness of HIV / AIDS WNBA player has the role of spokesman for a cure

Candice Wiggins of the Minnesota Lynx is a spokesperson for Until There’s A Cure.

Cause Celeb highlights a celebrity name to a specific cause. This week we speak with Candice Wiggins WNBA player on their efforts to raise awareness of HIV / AIDS and how the death of his father, has the greatest impact. Select third in the 2008 WNBA draft is a guard Wiggins Minnesota Lynx. She is the daughter of the late Alan Wiggins, MLB second baseman and left the defender, who died of complications from AIDS in 1991.

Candice Wiggins is a speaker, you take a remedy, a national organization that raise fund and awareness of HIV / AIDS through the sale of "The Bracelet", a strip of quarter inch tape with a fight AIDS has increased the page.

Q: Can you tell me until it is healed?

Wiggins: there is a cure is a nonprofit organization. E 'primarily dedicated to the eradication of AIDS. It’s very simple. This is the promotion of education, but the kind of title speaks for itself, it is very simple. Is there a cure ... This is what we are about. They sell bracelets and they put the advertising in magazines, etc... However the main thing is they are selling bracelets to promote education, to eliminate ... more.

Q: How were you involved in there a cure?

Wiggins: I think that during the 2008 NCAA Tournament, Final Four, I think with the people until a cure could hear my story. They saw him on TV and so easy with me and he was actually the ideal time to consider the matter, as I finished my academic and professional career. There really worked in a harmonious way, any type of product. I was like, "Sure, I'd like to join." It 'just made sense.

Q: What is your role?

Wiggins: I have a screen. I'm just encouraging. Just another ... I think the testimony.

Q: What are your thoughts about your father died of AIDS?

Wiggins: I have many thoughts, but in the end it really touched by the fact that it is important for children to understand. I was very young when my father died. He died in 1991, has come a long way. Only find our education and knowledge. The fact is a terrible thing, but it is very real. At the time my father died it was really one thing that nobody has really discussed. However, now it is affecting many more. It’s so popular today that a way to get involved and be at least informed, if appropriate.

Q: What is the value on the participation?

Wiggins: I just heard that "Oh, I heard your story, it is strongly inspired me a lot." The very fact the people like "Oh, I bought a bracelet; I wear my bracelet everyday life. I'm with you on that." Many people say to me, knowing that "I have a bracelet and I wear them." It’s more question of community. I think the most rewarding part for the fact that a piece of jewelry or something a community can unite against what is so terrible.

Q: Is there a shop that deals with working for you up there a cure?

Wiggins: In fact, it is. Last summer we played at home in Connecticut and throughout the day was over, until it is centered on healing. They had a booth set up at the Target Center, here where you play. I do not know how many fans were there, say, 8000 fans, and everyone has a bracelet. Until has a cure. But it was green and blue Lynx, and he said "Up" and 'was made of rubber, like a live strong bracelet.

It was so cold, it's like ... Basketball was. You play basketball. People come to the game; you could get a bracelet and have been informed. The group had a small booklet on the subject and talked until there is a cure. It 'was like a partnership with the Lynx. So it was like fate accompli. I play basketball, and football fans to come to the basketball game will leave everyone with a memory of this thing I'm so keen to have. I think it was pretty cool.

Q: What can help other people?

Wiggins: I think only you, your health and your pride. I think the bracelet is just a way to add to the community. Even if you do not want to contribute in this way, just really out there and be taught about AIDS / HIV. Knowledge of statistics, tested, and only really becomes more understanding for people living with HIV / AIDS, and only informed.

GeoVax Announces Expansion of the second phase of man against HIV / AIDS Vaccine Trial Phase 2, 225-300 users expanded

ATLANTA, 6 December 2010 / PRNewswire / - GeoVax Labs, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: GOVX), today announced the expansion of the second phase of study examines the HIV / AIDS vaccine products. Second studies phase flow, the administration of three doses of other recombinant viruses of the family MVA62B without the use of recombinant DNA vaccine vectors, immune responses in the first part of this study was to test. After completion of the 150 study participants, the vaccine produced two DNA vaccines followed by two doses of MVA will be 75 participants from three immunizations with the MVA vaccine, and 75 participants received placebo. Registration for the second phase opened on December 6.

GeoVax vaccine developed two components: a vector recombinant DNA vaccine and a recombinant MVA vaccine vector. Both are non-infectious virus-like particles in the body of a vaccinated person. This should be non-infectious particles are "train" the immune system designed to detect HIV virus in the vaccine recipient of the vaccinated person should be exposed to the virus itself. Induce both DNA and MVA vaccines humeral (antibody) and cellular responses (CTL). The antibodies can block the virus before it infects cells. Cytotoxic T cells can recognize and kill cells infected by a virus. The vaccine has been developed to control HIV clade B. Clade B HIV is found in North America, Central America and South America, Western Europe, Australia and Japan.

"I like the simplicity of using only one MVA vaccine vector because it is a therapy that could easily be nominated for the world to be. The data came from our Phase 1 study and recent clinical data using a model of non-human primates supports the 'simplified use of this vaccine, "said Harriet Robinson, Chief Scientific Advisor GeoVax.

Phase 2, a large study funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of S. U. National Institutes of Health and conducted by the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN). The HVTN is the largest global network of clinical trials dedicated to develop and testing HIV / AIDS vaccines against . The study has the same name as the original second phase HVTN 205 study.

About GeoVax Labs, Inc.

GeoVax is a biotechnology company that develops vaccines for diseases caused by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus - the leading AIDS) and other causes of infectious agents. Our goals include the development of vaccines against HIV / AIDS to global markets, production monitoring and control of these vaccines under GMP / GLP (FDA guidelines), clinical studies of vaccine safety and efficiency and approvals regulations to move foreword in the product. Prevention of all Phase 1 clinical trials in humans to various doses and combinations of our DNA and MVA vaccines for their ability to anti-HIV-humeral (antibody) and cellular (cytotoxic T lymphocytes) to improve the immune response and now examined the safety of vaccines. The positive results of Phase 1 test supported the opening of the first phase 2 studies. GeoVax phase 2 trial of man began in January 2009 and will ultimately lead to 300 people in offices in the United States and South America. GeoVax recently began enrolling patients in a phase 1 study of therapy for people already infected with HIV.

Foreword-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this document are "foreword-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act; these statements are based on management's current expectations and subject to uncertainties and changes in circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in such statements due to numerous factors, including: GeoVax develop and produce their vaccines with the desired properties in a timely fashion, the vaccines are safe for human consumption GeoVax, GeoVax vaccine effective prevention of AIDS in humans, the vaccines must obtain regulatory approvals to be approved and marketed, GeoVax capital for the development of vaccines raises really necessary is the development of competitive products that can effectively and easily use products that will be GeoVax able to enter a low production and distribution, and other factors over which GeoVax not control. GeoVax assumes no obligation to update these foreword-looking and does not intend to do. For more information about these factors is GeoVax filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those contained in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Form 10-K GeoVax.

Leader in HIV / AIDS vaccines to suggest the pre-exposure study results

Leaders across the field of HIV, the results of the first human trial of efficacy of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP) has welcomed the data, iPREX that individual at high risk of HIV infection, who took one tablet a day with two reports showed widespread anti-HIV drugs tenofovir and emtricitabine (FTC / TDF), has an average of 43.8% less HIV infections than those who received placebo. The results were released Tuesday morning.

The study published in The New England Journal of Medicine is the first evidence that this new method of HIV prevention, pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV in people reduces called PREP.

"The results of today's announcement of the first study of pre-exposure prophylaxis for oral (PREP) for the prevention of HIV between people who study iPREX is a very important addition to what is 15 more months in the promising Field research on the prevention of HIV since the epidemic began 27 years ago, "said Dr. Alan Bernstein, executive director, said the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise.

The study comes on the heels iPREX promising studies on HIV prevention.

In July, there was the news that the use of an anti-HIV every day to reduce the risk of HIV infection by 43.8 percent followed closely the announcement of the first successful test of a topical microbicide to prevent HIV infection between women (capris, July 2010) and the first demonstration of the effectiveness of a therapeutic vaccine against HIV (RV144, September 2009).

Together, these three developments herald a new era of exciting and dynamic research for the prevention of HIV, which bring us closer to developing safe and effective biomedical interventions for HIV acquisition.

Dr. Larry Corey, principal investigator of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington said it was preventing the third positive test results last year, and good news. We are looking for prevention safe, efficient, sustainable and accessible around the world committed to HIV infection. Vaccines are a public health strategy for virus epidemics, particularly in regions with limited resources to stop.

He said it was well designed and conducted a study which showed that HIV can be this type of biomedical intervention should be avoided.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP) is a nice addition to the package of strategies for the prevention of HIV. The details of these results will help health professionals to develop comprehensive plans to prevent patients with s' identified as high risk for HIV.

The field is looking forward to the results of other studies to evaluate the effectiveness of pre-exposure to other people, learn more about the willingness of people to use drugs on a long-term, and study the safety and efficacy of PREP with different therapies and / or dates of ownership.

Future studies of PREP and other methods of HIV prevention should address how to extend the duration of the effects of prevention of the epidemic on the effects of population base.

"This was an important year for research on HIV prevention," said Yasmin Halima, director of the Global Campaign for Microbicides. "Now we have been proofing of concept that both topical and oral gel pills may work for HIV prevention between those most at risk."

Dr. Bernstein said that the world must now make these exciting results to develop the study of HIV prevention into practicable tools for now.

He said three things: first, the new HIV prevention tools are more necessary than ever. UNAIDS announced today that 2.6 million people infected with HIV last year. Base on this trio of interesting results in the prevention of HIV, including announced today, is crucial if we want to bring this global epidemic under control.

Secondly, prevention remains the key combination of control and end of the day of this epidemic. The benefit of prevention PREP, today announced that, besides using other proven methods of HIV prevention like regular HIV testing, counseling practice safe sex and condom use has been reached. To develop in the future as an option for HIV prevention, the best approaches combine behavioral approaches, vaccines, antibiotics, pre-exposure prophylaxis and other methods to be developed. Until we have a perfect tool for the prevention of HIV, combination approaches are essential to reduce HIV infections.

He said the results announced today the results that vaccine and microbicides, the first being on a principle which is based in the heart of the work of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise - global cooperation.

"Only through collaboration between different scientific disciplines, national borders and among researchers, volunteers, supporters and founders of this story that hit the most suggestive of HIV prevention, he said.

Total of 2,499 people at high risk of HIV infection in iPREX study of six countries. All study participants received a complete set of services to prevent the risk of HIV infection during the study, including the reduction of HIV testing, intensive counseling safe sex, condoms and treatment and care of sexually transmitted diseases. Half of the study participants also received the pill PREP, while the other half received a placebo.

Overall, 64 HIV infections recorded in 1248 study participants who received a placebo, while 36 HIV infections among the 1,251 participants who received the study medication were included. The average reduction in the risk of HIV infection of 43.8% includes all study participants - even those who did not attend the pill every day consistently.

The study found that more protection iPREX PREP was between those who take the pill more frequently reported. Between the participants who had used the pill at 50% or more days, such as counting tablets and a bottle of self-report, the risk of HIV infection of 50.2% was measured (95% CI 17.9 to 69.7%, P = 0.006) among those who used the pill at 90% or more days, as determined by the same measures as the risk of infection pills PREP reduced from 72.8% (95% from 40.7 to 87.5%, P = 0.001).

While the pill, the measures, which are based on measurement reports of self-biased, the tests for the determination of the PREP drug in the blood of study participants - a reliable measure of the pill - also noted that participant are protected against HIV infection was probably under the study medication more regularly.

For a subgroup of study participants who received the active drug were detectable amounts of PREP the combination drug in the blood by 51% (22 of 43) of a group that HIV was negative, but only 9% (3 out of 34) of participants infected with HIV. Low or zero levels of drug at the root of all infections, those receiving active PREP, while those on the drug most frequently have a higher level of protection against HIV infection occurred.

"PREP iPREX shows that a significant protection against HIV, though it offers available with other prevention methods such as HIV testing, counseling, condom use and management of sexually transmitted infections," said Grant iPREX Protocol President Robert, MD, MPH of the Gladstone Institutes and the University of California at San Francisco.

"As with other prevention methods, the best protection is provided for constant use. I hope this has inspired the creation of adopting a renewed commitment to the community, industry and government, the spread of HIV."

IPREX This study is important, South Africa and the African continent. Unlikely that we will be able to treat our way through this epidemic. We need to find innovative ways to go, accessible and practical to stop the further transmission of HIV. To do this we need proven strategies that many individuals may be offered by many different sexual orientations, practices and risk profiles, so they are protected in a sustainable and significant.

IPREX gives us another form of evidence for all prevention programs to add. Although the representative of Cape contributed relatively fewer participants, we have a continent ravaged by the impact of HIV and each participant evaluated a lot for their courage, commitment and passion for the study and the cause. We look forward to following with the rest of the research team iPREX effective use of this modality in the prevention study and other experiments planned.

The study iPREX (Iniciativa prophylaxis Preexposicion Prexposure) or initiative is a double bind, placebo-controlled phase III, which began in 2007 after three years of community consultation. IPREX is the first efficacy trial of a man preparing for data transmission. The study was sponsored by iPREX U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), through a grant to the Gladstone Institute, a nonprofit independent research with the University of California at San Francisco affiliate. MORE iPREX the Bill provided, support & Melinda Gates Foundation.

A total of 2,499 men and transsexual women who have sex with men (MSM) at high risk of HIV infection in the study were iPREX at 11 locations in Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, South Africa, Thailand and the United States.

Other studies of pre-exposure prophylaxis are now men and heterosexual women, couples and HIV-injection drug users. Precautionary point iPREX researchers must continue these studies as the study's findings extrapolate iPREX not predict effects on populations of other PREP.

About 20,000 participants are already registered or could PREP studies around the world. PREP was previously shown to be very effective in animal studies.

Inovo Pharmaceuticals HIV DNA vaccine achieved a high T-cell immune response in Phase 1

Inovo Pharmaceuticals (NYSE AMEX: INO) said Wednesday that its DNA vaccine has Pennvax-B for prevention of HIV "significant" immune reactions during a clinical study showed the therapy.

The immune system is the body's way of fighting foreign invasion and potentially dangerous cells or antigens. DNA vaccination is a technique to protect the body against disease by injecting DNA genetically modified to produce an immune response. DNA vaccines are so many advantages over conventional vaccines, including the possibility of a wider range of species to induce the immune response.

"They are among the highest immune responses in other tests with the vaccine against HIV DNA vaccines or other platforms, including proteins and viral vectors. However, unlike viral vectors, DNA vaccines do not cause adverse immune reactions in having regard to the carrier, "said President and CEO Dr. Joseph J. Kim

The placebo-controlled study, sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases involved vaccination of 48 healthy volunteers and HIV-negative levels of safety and immune response of the vaccine with the company to assess speech delivered electrical equipment.

The data showed that the response of immune T cells generated by antigen-specific vaccination in most subjects. The CD4 + or CD8 + or T cell responses was observed against at least one vaccine antigen in 61% of those evaluated after two vaccinations.

After three injections, 84% had positive responses assessed for T cells Inovo said cell responses clearly strong antigen-specific CD8 + T also induced by vaccination in 55% of vaccines generated evaluated after three doses.

In addition, samples were tested from eight in the placebo group and were negative for both types of T-cell immune response, which shows that the potential of vaccines to prevent HIV infection.

Inovo previously reported data from a study in animals to the vaccine, it seemed, a 100-fold improvement in the immune response to the supply of electro-speech demonstrated in vivo, compared to injection syringe.

Inovo DNA vaccines have been developed to provide protection against great effort against strains known and emerging pathogens. Clinical programs include HPV / cervical dysphasia and cancer, avian flu and HIV.

HIV, AIDS cure just pie in the sky

Last week I wrote about how the priorities of HIV and AIDS, which became one of the most dynamic sectors, damage, especially in developing countries. I also asked how much money did not have a significant impact on reducing or reversing the effects of AIDS.

Generally accepted that, despite huge financial investment in HIV and AIDS, there is little or nothing to show for such a humanitarian development. Even called AIDS activists have questioned the lack of significant impact of these large sums of money poured into HIV and AIDS. All we hear is that more money is needed and that world leader to fulfill their obligations.

Perhaps HIV and AIDS activists are part of the great monsters of high-Finance-eat less energy than industry AIDS?

This industry has created employment opportunities may also affect millions of people around the world income and an excellent starting point for companies manufacturing ARVs and condoms. Forget the 2.7 million new infections in living up to 2 million deaths from AIDS per year, or 33 million people with HIV who are in urgent need of care have been in collaboration with industry described by many as a cow to be milked.

AIDS lobbyists are a resource for the global recovery of AIDS, as it has brought the strongest lobby groups are known, and not diseases that need it most, in fact, are the main causes of death. AIDS deaths accounted for 5.7% of all deaths in developing countries.

This raise the question: is this open world to tackle HIV / AIDS problem?

Or people with the idea that AIDS is here to stay constant, and is a lucrative industry whose existence could be achieved by the discovery of a vaccine that hundred of millions of unemployed and low income may ARV drug companies are threatened?

This is a more intelligent, if the problem is a person able to survive for another. Clearly the 33 million people living with the virus, potentially a long-term guarantee for companies manufacturing ARVs are, only that the founders were not released enough of the oil industry worldwide, and pay for the drugs at all the needy.

However, the UN AIDS projects to avoid a state budget of 172 billion U.S. dollars in 2015 to 2.6 million new infections and 1.3 million deaths. If the current funding does not reach the needy, there is no guarantee that the 172 billion more is to have an effect? While operators of HIV and AIDS with sloppy methods, such as circumcision and gels on human life to experiment is to develop a vaccine or cure for the front part of a series of challenges for social and scientific problems of logistics. The massive investment in vaccine research did not have much knowledge about the understanding of HIV. The ability of the virus to mutate and recombine into a new structure is a puzzle for researchers. The ability exacerbated the situation of the virus to begin the immune response that are harmful to the human body, and accelerate the spread of infection.

The lack of a suitable animal model and practice that has the same characteristics of the population to study the pathogenesis and to investigate other chemotherapy drugs shares an obstacle. These models allow researchers to study the effectiveness of the vaccine virus in several challenges. The chimps were used for this purpose, but showed different clinical course of infection to humans and are also very expensive to breed and scarce. This is the man that the only other option for testing purposes.

However there are ethical questions about human experimentation. People are willing to volunteer to be the possible complications that come with being HIV-positive, and more expensive for compensation should not be damaged. This reduces the chance of a vaccine for nothing but castles in the air. For now, avoid, or survive people will benefit your health problems, keep in a safe manner through safer sexual behavior.

A Kenyan doctor, who wrote a book on the first genetic vaccine for AIDS to go to court, said that one day the virus is under controlled

Dr. Matilu Mwau international news 10 years ago as a graduate student in the UK in search work group to study the vaccine in humans has been created.

He said, he suffered a combination of factors, including treatment, prevention and the use of an effective vaccine is years too late to tame virus misery for the human race.

Because of the great interest that scientists have the virus, and have accumulated vast amounts of knowledge over the years, the world is moving forward with better products and more powerful anti-retroviral Mwau said.

Dr. Mwatilu Mwau says the future looks bright for the eradication of the AIDS pandemic. [Image: Jenipher Wachi]

And this is a matter of time before an effective vaccine is found, he added. However, he argues that a vaccine similar to that used for measles, typhus, smallpox or polio, which works by stimulating the immune system, probably not a panacea for HIV. Instead, it is an effective vaccine against HIV must not only stimulate the production of neutralizing antibodies, but also the specific cell-mediated response as well.

In 2007, the failure of a vaccine in clinical trials submitted by pharmaceutical giant Merck, a wave of pessimism crashing to the researchers. As at the time the leading candidate for an effective AIDS vaccine that has failed - and some evidence that this may have increased the risk of HIV infection - the researchers to dig his head. Three years later, in September last year there was a glimmer of hope if U.S. and Thai researchers, the test results revealed the largest ever vaccine. Testing more than 16,000 images of Thais offered ALVAC and AIDSVAX vaccine protection against 31.2 percent the risk of infection.

Mwau his feelings before World AIDS Day, Wednesday, marks, and the weekend that some researchers have discovered a pill every day that capture the risk of infection, reductions of up to 90 percent.

HIV / AIDS experts and interest groups welcomed the results of a three-year study in the New England Journal of Medicine was published as a turning point in the global fight against the deadly virus. It combines two antiretroviral drugs, emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in one tablet, and has been used to treat HIV since 2002.

Among men who received placebo, 64 HIV was responsible for the three years of study. The group was 36 HIV infections, but two of those before the study and 31 of the 34 men, others had not used drugs in the blood, have not taken the pills. Researchers in that a rate of 90 percent of success in the field of HIV. In the United States sold the drug, Truvada, for about $ 1,000 (SH80, 000) per month.

During his studies at the University of Oxford in the UK, wrote a thesis entitled Mwau: Clinical evaluation of a candidate HIV-1 subtype A / DNA-MVA vaccine specific for Kenya.

He studied the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine by genetic scientists at the University of Oxford. There are about 86 products in clinical trials of vaccines. However the world is still waiting for a vaccine against the disease that has infected so far killed 25 million and 33 million people around the world, even if life ARV should be extended.
Mwau, Centre for Infectious and Parasitic Diseases Control and Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute of Busia leaders said the future looks promising for the eradication of the pandemic. Avoid the common efforts of people in the world of contracting the virus is a major cause that will be given.

"The efforts to be faithful to a HIV-negative partners, condom use, abstinence, circumcision and early childhood assessment and treatment have all worked very hard in Kenya, he said. He also said that it would be one way the virus has weakened over the years. "If the flu virus has killed millions of pandemic occurred in 1918. Today, a simple flu virus, which can be treated at home because," he said.

HIV vaccine may reduce aid among the risk groups

Study finds drug every day reduces the risk of infection

A pill that is currently used for HIV infection can also reduce the risk of HIV infection in men at risk, according to results of a large clinical study.

Each year, more than 2.5 million people worldwide living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS diagnosed. Despite progress in reducing the number of new infections continues to look for scientists to more effective strategies to halt the spread of HIV. Current prevention strategies based on behavioral changes, such as condoms, abstinence or fewer sexual partners.

Clinical trials

Some studies in animals and humans have shown that anti-retroviral drugs used today to treat HIV could also help prevent new infections. To test this idea has been called a clinical study of 11 sites in South America, South Africa, Thailand and the United States for life.

The study involved nearly 2,500 men who have sex with men. All participants were at least 18 years and HIV-negative at the time of registration. The road was from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)-sponsored, with additional funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The men were randomized to receive a daily tablet containing two common anti-retroviral drugs (tenofovir and emtricitabine) or a placebo. Were evaluated every month for HIV infection. All condoms have been invited to safer sex practices and treatment of other sexually transmitted diseases. The average duration of schooling was 1.2 years.

Significant results

The results of the November 23, 2010, online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine report showed that the drug reduced the risk of contracting HIV infection by almost 44 percent. In particular, 36 infections occurred among the 1251 participants who were receiving antiretroviral therapy, compared with 64 HIV infections among the 1,248 people who received placebo.

The treatment was more effective for those that attached to the daily dose. Participants who took the drug for at least half the time were about 50 percent fewer HIV infections. Those who took the drug to 90 percent or more days of infection were almost 73 percent less.

The researchers note that their findings could be relevant to men who have sex with men. Further studies to investigate the effectiveness of the strategy in other groups, like women and heterosexual men.

"No one can be effective HIV prevention strategy for all," says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci. "More research is needed, but certainly this finding is important that the basis for research, development and implementation of this prevention strategy has the potential to have a significant impact in the fight against the offer HIV / AIDS."