British MP first volunteer in Aids vaccine test

A British member of Parliament, Evan Harris, is the first of 17 volunteers to be injected with a vaccine aimed at combating Aids.

The vaccine, developed at Oxford University in England and its namesake in Nairobi, Kenya, is the first to specifically target HIV, the virus that leads to Aids.

The vaccine is not an Aids cure but a preventive measure.

All the volunteers taking part have been rigorously screened to ensure they are at low risk of developing the disease, for which, after 20 years, there is still no cure.

Those suffering from Aids can be kept alive with a cocktail of expensive drugs, but patients endure many opportunistic diseases and unpleasant side-effects.

The aim of the vaccine is to stimulate the body to produce killer T-cells fast enough to prevent infection taking hold.

If the British trial is successful, it will be repeated in Nairobi in six months.

The vaccine is a joint project between the International Aids Vaccine Initiative and the two universities.

Because there are many variants of the virus, the first vaccine has been specifically targeted for Africa.

Dr Harris, a Liberal-Democrat MP, said: "I am taking part in the trial because I have worked with Aids patients and I believe that finding an effective vaccine is our best hope to control the devastating disease."

Wayne Koff, president of the International Aids Vaccine Initiative, said: "I believe the goal is in sight. We are increasingly confident that a protective vaccine will be ready in five to 10 years.

"This is the first one designed for Africa and the first to emerge from our public-private partnership."

The synthetic vaccine is based on the HIV subtype A, the most common strain of Aids in East Africa.

Initial research was conducted on female prostitutes in Nairobi who have proved resistant to the HIV/Aids virus, although they were constantly exposed to it.

It is hoped that the vaccine will stimulate a strong cellular immune response to HIV, as already observed in the women.

Until now, vaccines have been made from strains circulating in North Africa, specifically subtype B.

The International Aids Vaccine Initiative plans to carry out about 10 trials in the next few years to get the vaccine correct.