Experiment of AIDS Vaccine on Human Body to Be Conducted in ChinaAn AIDS vaccine for HIV developed jointly by China and Japan by way of nucleic acid technology will enter into experimental stage on human bodies next year. It can be used to inoculate for the prevention of AIDS within 3 to 5 years should the experiment be proved successful, said the sources from the AIDS Prevention and Control Center under the Ministry of Health.It is reported that the nucleic acid technology jointly developed by China and Japan can shorten the "period" easy to be infected by AIDS virus from 4-6 weeks to just one, thus checking the proliferation of the virus. Quoting Shao Yiming, Deputy director of the Center, the Nanfang Daily says that the traditional way to test AIDS infection is by serology. However, it requires a "period" for human to produce immuno-reaction after being infected, during which antibody is hard to be detected. By using the nucleic acid technology, the "period" can be greatly shortened and the AIDS contamination be limited to the minimum. Shao said that China is now at a crucial stage for the prevention and control of the AIDS. HIV infected people have risen sharply. China had 10,000 people as reported infected with the HIV virus in 1993. However, in 1998 the number rose to 300,000, and it has exceeded 500,000 now. Guangdong province is as learned the most serious province in China. Experts predict that the peak infection period will be from 2003 to 2005, in which next year will see 20,000 to 30,000 HIV carriers in the province. He said that the vaccine experiment is going to be conducted next year. Should it be successful, it can be used to inoculate for the prevention of AIDS within three to five years. |
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