From: bigoldberg@igc.apc.org (Billi Goldberg)
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
Subject: DNCB Article in Sentinel
Date: 30 Jul 92 14:15:04 GMT
Organization: UCLA, Computer Science Department
Note: non-commercial reproduction.
Archive-Number: 5807

The following article was printed in San Francisco's Gay newspaper, The 
Sentinel, on Thursday, July 30, 1992.

It is being posted here with the permission of the author Charles 
Caulfield.  The article is not copyrighted.
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          DELAYED HYPERSENSITIVITY THERAPY FOR HIV: DNCB
                                 by
                       Charles R. Caulfield

  Since the earliest days of the AIDS epidemic, numerous seemingly 
promising treatments have emerged on the medical horizon. Most of these, 
upon closer examination, proved disappointing.  Literally hundreds of 
new drugs have come and gone from public attention, having been brought 
to the forefront by treatment activists, only to prove to have been a 
"flash in the pan."

  A few of these have, however, shown remarkable longevity, looking as 
promising today as they did when they first appeared, often despite a 
lack of controlled research into their effectiveness. This phenomenon is 
the result of a number of individuals claiming to owe their health, and 
even their lives to the use of these remarkable therapies.

  One such drug which has generated a continuously high level of 
interest in the treatment underground is the skin sensitizing agent, 
Dinitrochlorobenzene, or DNCB for short. This chemical which is readily 
available and ridiculously inexpensive, has eluded the attention of the 
conventional drug researching establishment since it came into 
widespread use over six years ago. This is despite some interesting and 
significant properties the chemical is known to possess.

  A library reference search on DNCB reveals a prolific number of 
appearances in medical journals over the years. The drug has a long 
history of pharmacological study and is known to be safe. Unfortunately, 
the one primary characteristic of the substance which makes it so 
attractive to those who could benefit from it, is paradoxically the same 
quality which makes the drug undesirable to those who could validate 
it's effectiveness: namely, the drug's cost. DNCB costs less than $2.00 
per month to use. There is no current profit motive to investigate this 
drug, despite it's obvious potential in medicine, due to the fact that 
it cannot be patented.

  Patenting procedures for drugs require that they be novel compounds. 
DNCB does not comply with this requirement, since so much is known about 
its composition of matter and its uses. Even though this may be a 
potentially lifesaving treatment for literally thousands of people 
living with HIV, it is unlikely that it will come under formal 
investigation since there is no promise of financial return on its 
development.

  In spite of this, some physicians are continuing to look at DNCB, and 
the patients who use it. Notable among these is Raphael Stricker MD, 
Associate Director of Immunotherapy at San Francisco's California 
Pacific Medical Center, and William L. Epstein MD,  Professor and former 
Chairman of the Dermatology Division at U.C. San Francisco, both of whom 
were the Investigators in a clinical pilot study of DNCB's 
effectiveness. The study, which was the subject of a scientific poster 
presentation at the VIII International Conference on AIDS in Amsterdam, 
highlighted the results of investigations surrounding DNCB treatment for 
HIV positive individuals for an average period of seven months. 
Favorable responses in the study included significant reduction of 
reverse transcriptase levels using the Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay. 
Progression of symptoms was virtually halted for all subjects during the 
course of therapy, and no toxicity was noted except for the expected 
side effect of contact dermatitis at the application site on the skin. 

  DNCB acts as an immune modulator by a unique mode of action compared 
to other drugs.  Its effects are limited to the cellular component of 
the immune system. This approach is in keeping with the recently revised 
position of Dr. Jonas Salk, who in Amsterdam stated that he now 
advocates a refocusing of therapeutic approaches away from the antibody 
producing activities of the immune system, and a redirecting of them 
toward its cellular functions. This new rationale is further supported 
by recent developments in Immunology, in which key immune cells on the 
surface of the skin and in the mucosal tissues have been shown to play a 
critical role in viral disease progression.

  When applied directly to the skin at weekly intervals, DNCB activates 
the cellular memory, initiating a systemic migration of dendritic cells. 
These immune cells, recently identified as key players in viral disease 
progression, act as sentinels for the immune response. While traveling 
along these pathways from the skin and mucosal tissues to the lymphoid 
organs, they pick up HIV virions as "hitchhikers". When these cells 
arrive at the lymph nodes, they present the viral surface proteins to 
CD4 T lymphocytes, which in turn initiate destruction of the infected 
cells and the viruses they carry, ridding the body of a significant 
amount of virus. 

  This process results in the generation of a new population of 
dendritic cells, beginning the cycle again. These cells cause a cyclical 
flushing out of a significant amount of the offending virus, and 
presumably any other intracellular infective pathogens, creating a sort 
of "immune-bathing" of tissues from within. It has been speculated that 
this mode of action may also reduce resident populations of all types of 
viruses, as well as bacteria, fungi and protozoa, which would explain 
the cessation of clinical decline for subjects in the pilot study.

  The most notable effect of DNCB in the study population was this frank 
halting of the progression of symptoms of illness. Anecdotal reports 
from long-time users of the drug include regressions of KS lesions and 
warts, elimination of thrush and other fungal infections, and increases 
in laboratory measurements of CD8 T lymphocytes, activation of natural 
killer cells, and a general resolution of subjective complaints

  It is unlikely that formal trials of DNCB will be undertaken any time 
soon. Yet many physicians and their patients remain excited about the 
drug and its promise. It is available throughout the country in what 
have become known as "guerrilla clinics," and is currently in use by 
thousands of PWAs across the country. It can be obtained in San 
Francisco from Healing Alternatives Foundation at 1748 Market Street. 
They can be contacted by calling (415) 626-4053. A six month supply of 
DNCB and an instructional packet of information on how to use it are 
available for $20.00. More in-depth printed material is available for 
both physicians and lay individuals at the same location. It should be 
noted that the $20.00 is a suggested donation, to help defray the cost 
of overhead and handling. The actual cost of the drug and info is $6.00, 
and even this nominal fee will be waived for individuals who are unable 
to pay.
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Billi
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids