AIDS in asia: 3rd Taipei AIDS meeting

Abstract

At the Third International Conference on AIDS, Taipei, Taiwan, gene therapy, HIV quasi species, and Asian epidemiology were the main issues. Various effectors for gene therapy such as ribozyme, thymidine kinase and PKR were tested. Though not clinically available in the near future, gene therapy will likely play an important role in the combat against HIV. That non-syncytia-inducing HIV-1s are capable of direct T lymphocyte killing was reported and provides a possible explanation for progression to AIDS in patients in whom no syncytia-inducing HIV-1 could be found. Epidemiological data concerning Asia were presented in this meeting; among them is a detailed description of the current status of HIV infections in Taiwan. The HIV epidemic is still in its early stage in Taiwan, but some ominous signs favoring disease spread have been found.