Vaccine for simian AIDS developed Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have developed a vaccine that protects rhesus monkeys against a virus that causes a disease very similar to AIDS. Development of a vaccine against the simian acquired immune deficiency syndrome (SAIDS) virus provides hope that a vaccine also can be developed that will protect humans against AIDS. Both the SAIDS virus and AIDS virus are retroviruses—viruses that have RNA rather than DNA as their genetic material and a mechanism that allows that RNA to act as a template for production of DNA in infected cells. Both attack the immune system of the infected organism, effectively destroying its ability to fight off disease. This leads to so-called opportunistic infections by other pathogens. However, despite their similarities, AIDS and SAIDS are caused by different viruses, which attack different immune system cells, the researchers stress. The SAIDS vaccine cannot protect humans against the AIDS virus. They also point out that the way the vaccine was produced— by killing live virus particles—is unlikely to be acceptable for producing a vaccine against AIDS for use in humans. Researchers led by UC Davis research virologist Preston A. Marx Jr. produced the vaccine by a technique similar to that used by Jonas Salk to develop the first polio vaccine. SAIDS virus was isolated from infected monkeys, raised in cell culture, and killed by treatment with the chemical formalin. In February 1985, six monkeys at the California Primate Research Center, which is operated by the university, were injected with the resulting vaccine. The treatment was followed by two booster injections. In July, the monkeys were injected with what are normally fatal doses of the SAIDS virus. Six control monkeys also were exposed to the SAIDS virus at that time. The vaccinated monkeys all are t h r i v i n g and show no signs of SAIDS, according to Marx. Three of the control monkeys have died of
SAIDS and the others show signs of the disease. A report of the research will appear in the November issue of the Journal of Virology. Although in theory the same technique could be used to produce an AIDS vaccine, a number of factors make such a development unlikely. The most important is that previous research with polio virus shows that formalin treatment does not always result in complete destruction of all virus particles. Companies pursuing an AIDS virus generally are focusing on recombinant DNA techniques to develop an AIDS vaccine protein that will cause production of neutralizing antibodies. According to Marx, the vaccine will be made available to other primate research centers where SAIDS has become established. •
Group maps program to cut hazardous waste A new report prepared by the Environmental Defense Fund, a national citizens environmental organization, is aimed at helping state and federal government agencies "get off the toxics treadmill" by showing them how to reduce the amount of hazardous waste produced. Titled "Approaches to Source Reduction: Practical Guidance From Existing Policies & Programs," the book focuses on practical actions government can take to cut down the production of toxic wastes at their source, EDF says. Most of the effort so far has been at the state level. The report details the work of the 20 states that have initiated various policies or programs to reduce hazardous waste production. David Roe, senior EDF attorney and coauthor of the report, says there are two key issues in reducing hazardous waste generation that probably have to be handled by the government. "There is a key need for data," Roe says. "Where does the hazardous waste come from? Who makes it? Another key point is targeting. You can't cut all waste production at once, and don't need to." The ideal would be to set priorities and trim the largest, most serious problems first, t h e n use
that experience to move on other wastes. The report itself represents a sort of plan that could be followed to develop a model waste reduction program. It includes sections on assembling needed data, early targeting efforts, what kind of technical assistance is available, financial incentives for waste reduction, and the status of present waste regulations. Roe emphasizes that these ideas are gleaned from a mixture of policies already at work in some states. EDF's book is part of a movement toward waste reduction. A New York City-based group called INFORM last year examined a few chemical companies to determine what they were doing to reduce waste production and concluded it was not very much. In addition, both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Office of Technology Assessment are in the process of writing reports on the subject. With so much criticism of current waste disposal practices and fewer and fewer places willing to accept hazardous waste, this kind of "chemical conservation" can be expected to become an important issue in the years ahead. •
Suit asks stay on DOD toxic warfare research The Foundation on Economic Trends, headed by genetic engineering critic Jeremy Rifkin, is seeking a court injunction prohibiting the Department of Defense from carrying out any further biological defense research experiments until the agency complies with the National Environmental Policy Act. Specifically, the suit seeks to enjoin DOD and the military branches from further testing, development, and industrial-scale production of hazardous and highly toxic biological warfare materials until environmental impact statements assessing the environmental risks of the programs are prepared. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Sept. 2. It was timed to coincide with the second international review of the 1972 Biological WeapSeptember 8, 1986 C&EN
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