Volunteer participants are being sought for both studies. The clinical trials involve the fusion inhibitor AMD-3100, and a therapeutic gene called Rev M10. Historically, the problem with anti-HIV drugs has been the ability of the virus to develop a resistance against them. Participants in the AMD-3100 study must spend 10 days in the hospital undergoing an IV infusion of the drug. The Rev M10 study is designed to determine whether this therapeutic gene, when inserted into the patient's stem cells, can effectively reconstitute the patient's immune system by protecting the cells that are targets of HIV infection.
Stem cells are the most basic blood-forming cells in the bone marrow.
These earlier studies indicated that Rev M10 gene prevents HIV from replicating within cells, and stops the spread of the virus to uninfected cells. This funding enables area residents to participate in studies that offer free HIV testing and newly developed drugs for treatment of the disease.