The list of nominees is a closely guarded secret. However, a scientific report published in the esteemed American journal Nature Medicine and reported by The Washington Post has unveiled leaked information. This is one of many nominations for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine submitted to Sweden. If not this year, it could be a strong contender for future Nobel Prizes after some time of application. More importantly, this scientific report marks a new chapter for those suffering from the epidemic disease, AIDS.
Eradicating the Epidemic Disease
On July 16, 2005, the French weekly Nouvel Obs commented on this information: “Compared to previous announcements by scientists worldwide regarding AIDS, this may be the most reliable information to date.” Two independent researchers, Professor Jean Marie Andrieu and Dr. Louis Wei Lu, are set to present their research findings to the global scientific community. If officially recognized by the global scientific council, this research could eradicate the HIV/AIDS epidemic within one to two years.
Jean Marie Andrieu, head of the oncology department at the Georges Pompidou European Hospital, is a renowned oncologist. Wei Lu, a French national of Chinese descent, is a drug researcher at the Vaccine Research Institute and Immunotherapy for Cancer and AIDS at René Descartes University (IRVICS), closely associated with the French Institute for Research and Development (IRO). In 1999, these scientists applied a molecular testing method called Muprovoma to identify pathogenic virus strains. This method successfully identified a majority of AIDS virus strains, while previous testing methods could only detect 0 – 20%. Notably, Muprovoma can determine the number of AIDS virus strains originating from Africa or Asia.
The recent discovery by these French scientists could quickly lead to a revolutionary treatment method – therapeutic vaccines – for individuals already infected with HIV/AIDS. Unlike traditional vaccines that prevent disease and block the entry of bacteria or viruses into the body, the therapeutic vaccine concept proposed by the French researchers aims to reduce or even completely halt the development of HIV in those who have tested positive or are in critical condition. The goal of Jean Marie Andrieu and Wei Lu is to stimulate the immune system of the body, which is the target that HIV seeks to weaken and destroy, to fight against this virus.
Humanity’s Deadlock
To gain a clearer understanding of this issue, it is essential to revisit the mechanism of AIDS development. While a previously discovered virus has no more fearsome enemy than lymphocytes (the cells the body produces to recognize and destroy foreign bacteria and viruses), HIV exploits these very lymphocytes to proliferate and grow.
Thanks to the antigens present in its outer shell, HIV merges with the lymphocyte membrane and commandeers this cell along with its genes. When the nucleus is destroyed, the lymphocyte loses its ability to prevent the invasion and proliferation of certain viruses and cannot stop the emergence of tumors. The development of such opportunistic diseases weakens the immune system of the patient, leading to death from other illnesses that the body can no longer resist. Hence, this disease is termed Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Thanks to a treatment method combining three types of antibiotics developed since the 1990s, the medical world has achieved initial success in halting the progression of HIV. The essence of this combination therapy is to prevent the RNA of HIV from transforming into DNA and to besiege lymphocytes via a special enzyme – reverse transcriptase (an enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of corresponding acids), while also inhibiting the production of protease, another enzyme that helps complete the production of essential proteins for generating new HIV.
Although effective, the A380 combination antibiotic treatment – which inhibits the process of protease production while the other two antibiotics deactivate reverse transcriptase – causes numerous side effects for patients. Moreover, as it cannot completely eradicate or halt the development of HIV after a certain treatment period, patients must continuously use A380 antibiotics; otherwise, the virus may reemerge. Common side effects for patients undergoing this treatment include digestive disorders, neurological fatigue, liver and kidney failure…
A Completely Different Research Direction
Not aiming to completely eliminate HIV, the approach of Andrieu and Lu seeks to prevent the virus’s development through a vaccine treatment method applied to those already infected with HIV. This is somewhat similar to rabies treatment.
To stimulate the immune system, these scientists are researching certain cells that are seldom utilized in combating HIV, yet show great effectiveness in treating some types of cancer. These are dendritic cells. Primarily located in lymph nodes, such as the spleen, dendritic cells act as the first line of defense, responsible for identifying foreign invaders in the body. These sentinel cells subsequently notify lymphocytes of the enemy that needs to be eliminated.
But how can we prevent lymphocytes from being attacked by HIV? The answer lies in the fact that when they appear, dendritic cells will immediately alert lymphocytes to prepare for protection against the antigens present in HIV’s shell before being attacked by this virus.
In 2002, Dr. Wei Lu conducted a decisive experiment: he extracted dendritic cells from macaque monkeys infected with SIV (a virus causing AIDS in monkeys with many similarities to HIV causing AIDS in humans) and then placed these cells together with SIV. This virus was immediately surrounded by the dendritic cells and could not proliferate.
After being cultured, the dendritic cells were injected back into the SIV-infected animal’s body. This injection process was divided into 5 doses over 2 months. The results showed that, although SIV was not completely eradicated, its quantity significantly decreased in the test animal’s body after 10 months of treatment.
Additionally, researchers observed that the number of immune cells increased sixfold compared to the baseline before treatment. Activating the body’s natural immune system and then enhancing this immune system instead of trying to support its decline due to HIV is a new research method. Another noteworthy aspect of this new discovery is that to achieve their research goals, the two scientists secured most of their funding from private sources. Furthermore, while patenting in France, they concurrently conducted research in China and Brazil.
Their discovery has opened hope for a complete cure for millions of AIDS patients and could put an end to the expansion of this epidemic disease.
Trần Ngọc Phúc – According to Nobel Prize 2005
