3/5/07
High hopes for bird flu jab
¶ 10:32 PM
Mimi Lau
A leading AIDS researcher is testing a new bird flu vaccine on mice, hoping to discover one capable of covering a wide range of influenza viruses to prepare for a possible pandemic.
David Ho Da-yi, who is famous for his cocktail therapy for treating HIV, will elaborate on the progress of his bird flu vaccine research at an international medical forum at Hong Kong University today.
He hopes that, with the positive results he has obtained from mice, he will be able to produce a vaccine which protects humans from many strains of the H5 virus.
Speaking in Hong Kong Sunday, Ho said his New York-based laboratory is analyzing all available H5N1 sequencing to track down a consensus sequence to formulate new vaccines via two different approaches, DNA and proteins, to offer cross immunity protection against various strains of H5.
"Basically, it would stimulate the body to generate an immune response to protect itself from the deadly influenza," Ho said, adding that the approach is easy, cheap and fast to produce while requiring only one shot to achieve immunization.
"If you know what strain is likely to cause the pandemic, you can just take that strain to make the vaccine. But if you guess it wrong, big trouble.
"The H5N1 is so widespread right now, it has to be one of the viruses we're worrying about," he said.
According to Ho, the new vaccine has the potential to be made in one week and it will be very cheap "for governments to buy for the entire population."
Ho added that should positive results come from testing on mice, ideally, the new vaccine could offer protection from different H5N1 viruses found in China, Vietnam or Indonesia, allowing a quick response during a pandemic.
"Because when a pandemic comes, you want all the properties to be in one vaccine," Ho said.
Commenting on the old technique where a vaccine is generated by injecting the influenza virus into an embryonic egg, Ho said although the method does work, it is slow, cumbersome and expensive.
Currently, US pandemic preparedness is focused on vaccine technology instead of relying entirely on the old technique.
"Once we have the results in experimental animals, it will take six to nine months to produce for human use, but it will take another several months for regulatory agencies to approve, such as FDA [Food and Drug Administration] in the United States, before running clinical trials on humans," Ho said.
"It's not going to be very quick," he said, but stressed that "it's prudent to be prepared."
He added: "I'd say the flu pandemic is going to come. We just don't know when."
Looking back at the Katrina hurricane disaster in New Orleans in 2005 and the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, which showed that preparedness was lacking, Ho said: "This would be one of the best investments that the human race will make in new technology to allow us to come up with a vaccine for the pandemic. We should not make the same mistakes we have made repeatedly with other disasters."
He said: "I think we should do it as soon as possible ... the sooner we're ready, the better prepared we will be.
"We know how bad H5N1 is among birds today, it's only a few mutations away before that virus can be effectively transmitted to humans. So statistics would tell us it's only a matter of time. This is a real threat."
Once the tests on animals show positive progress, Ho said he will extend them to human beings.
Ho leaves for Beijing tomorrow to discuss HIV treatment and vaccines in general with mainland health officials.
Local microbiologist Lo Wing-lok said he would be cautious about Ho's research as there are other concerns involved. He said even if the new vaccine is developed the question remains as to whether it would be widely available. Lo is concerned whether some of the world's poorest countries with the highest risk of a flu pandemic, such as Vietnam and Indonesia, could benefit from the technology in an emergency. (Trademark and Copyright Notice: Copyright 2005, The Standard Newspaper Publishing Ltd. )
David Ho Da-yi, who is famous for his cocktail therapy for treating HIV, will elaborate on the progress of his bird flu vaccine research at an international medical forum at Hong Kong University today.
He hopes that, with the positive results he has obtained from mice, he will be able to produce a vaccine which protects humans from many strains of the H5 virus.
Speaking in Hong Kong Sunday, Ho said his New York-based laboratory is analyzing all available H5N1 sequencing to track down a consensus sequence to formulate new vaccines via two different approaches, DNA and proteins, to offer cross immunity protection against various strains of H5.
"Basically, it would stimulate the body to generate an immune response to protect itself from the deadly influenza," Ho said, adding that the approach is easy, cheap and fast to produce while requiring only one shot to achieve immunization.
"If you know what strain is likely to cause the pandemic, you can just take that strain to make the vaccine. But if you guess it wrong, big trouble.
"The H5N1 is so widespread right now, it has to be one of the viruses we're worrying about," he said.
According to Ho, the new vaccine has the potential to be made in one week and it will be very cheap "for governments to buy for the entire population."
Ho added that should positive results come from testing on mice, ideally, the new vaccine could offer protection from different H5N1 viruses found in China, Vietnam or Indonesia, allowing a quick response during a pandemic.
"Because when a pandemic comes, you want all the properties to be in one vaccine," Ho said.
Commenting on the old technique where a vaccine is generated by injecting the influenza virus into an embryonic egg, Ho said although the method does work, it is slow, cumbersome and expensive.
Currently, US pandemic preparedness is focused on vaccine technology instead of relying entirely on the old technique.
"Once we have the results in experimental animals, it will take six to nine months to produce for human use, but it will take another several months for regulatory agencies to approve, such as FDA [Food and Drug Administration] in the United States, before running clinical trials on humans," Ho said.
"It's not going to be very quick," he said, but stressed that "it's prudent to be prepared."
He added: "I'd say the flu pandemic is going to come. We just don't know when."
Looking back at the Katrina hurricane disaster in New Orleans in 2005 and the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, which showed that preparedness was lacking, Ho said: "This would be one of the best investments that the human race will make in new technology to allow us to come up with a vaccine for the pandemic. We should not make the same mistakes we have made repeatedly with other disasters."
He said: "I think we should do it as soon as possible ... the sooner we're ready, the better prepared we will be.
"We know how bad H5N1 is among birds today, it's only a few mutations away before that virus can be effectively transmitted to humans. So statistics would tell us it's only a matter of time. This is a real threat."
Once the tests on animals show positive progress, Ho said he will extend them to human beings.
Ho leaves for Beijing tomorrow to discuss HIV treatment and vaccines in general with mainland health officials.
Local microbiologist Lo Wing-lok said he would be cautious about Ho's research as there are other concerns involved. He said even if the new vaccine is developed the question remains as to whether it would be widely available. Lo is concerned whether some of the world's poorest countries with the highest risk of a flu pandemic, such as Vietnam and Indonesia, could benefit from the technology in an emergency. (Trademark and Copyright Notice: Copyright 2005, The Standard Newspaper Publishing Ltd. )
Labels: bird flu
¶ 10:32 PM
