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Research and Clinical Trials

Researchers are conducting studies on all areas of HIV and AIDS. Studies are looking at a range of topics, including vaccines to prevent HIV, promotion of the female condom to prevent HIV transmission, HIV/AIDS testing, new treatments for HIV/AIDS, disease progression in different people, mother-to-child transmission, complementary medicine, and HIV drugs and pregnancy. These are just some-the list is very long.

Preventing the spread of HIV

Scientists are also looking at chemical barriers to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) from spreading. One way is topical microbicides. These are products like gels, cream, or a sponge, that people can use in the vagina or in the rectum to protect against HIV and other STDS.

Stopping treatment

You may also hear about research that's looking at "drug holidays." Researchers are trying to figure out if there are certain times when you can stop your drug therapy or take the least amount of drugs possible to give you and your body a break from the drugs. SMART is a government-funded study that's looking into this possibility. For more information on the SMART trial, go to www.smart-trial.org.

Clinical trials

Many areas of HIV/AIDS research involve clinical trials. Clinical trials are research studies designed to find out if new drugs, vaccines, or other treatments are safe and if they work. Sometimes, it can be hard for patients to learn about opportunities to participate in clinical trials. Doctors and patient advocacy groups can be valuable resources for patients in search of clinical trial information. You can also find out about clinical trials at http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/clinical_trials. You can also go to clinicaltrials.gov http://www.clinicaltrials.gov or call 866-833-5433. Newspapers, particularly in large cities, often carry clinical trial recruitment advertisements. A call to a nearby university medical center can lead to information about clinical trials currently recruiting patients. To learn more about the steps in a clinical trial, go to www.niaid.nih.gov/vrc/clintrials/clin_steps.htm. If you decide to take part in a clinical study, see www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/brochure/unc3bro.htm to learn what questions you should ask.

Last Updated: August 2004

The following resources will help you learn more about HIV/AIDS research and clinical trials:

Publications

Become An HIV Vaccine Study Volunteer - This on-line publication lists the steps involved in participating in the clinical study of an HIV vaccine.
Challenges in Designing HIV Vaccines - This publication contains information on what constitutes immune protection, immune responses, regulatory T cells, HIV Strain Variation, immune system breakdown, and animal model studies.
Clinical Trials Databases - This is a National Institutes of Health web page containing links from which you can access several databases containing facts about both publicly and privately supported clinical studies.
Clinical Trials Explained (Copyright © ACRIA) - This on-line publication provides some basic information on clinical trials including how to protect your rights, different types of trials, what happens when a trial ends and financial consideration.
HIV Vaccine Research - This online publication provides links to information on HIV vaccine development and evaluation and other publications regarding this topic. It also has a list of links that promote community awareness regarding HIV.
HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials FAQ - This fact sheet answers many questions about the details of HIV/AIDS clinical trials.
HIV/AIDS Prevention Research activities at DAIDS - This web site provides an overview of the development and evaluation of HIV prevention interventions. Two of the most important biomedical HIV prevention strategies are vaccines and topical microbicides.
HIV/AIDS Treatment Research activities at DAIDS - This Internet site is an overview of NIAID's research agenda, including scientific areas of emphasis, research advances, and clinical research priorities.
HIV/AIDS Vaccine Research activities at DAIDS - This web site provides a comprehensive overview of AIDS vaccine discovery and development.
Overview of Microbicide Trials: Issues and Challenges (copyright ©GCM) - This presentation outlines an overview of Microbicide trials. Addresses the challenges and issues involved in the different phases of clinical trials to get safe and effective microbicides to the public.
Taking Part in Research Studies: What Questions Should You Ask? - This brochure explains research studies and provides a list of questions for a potential subject to ask before agreeing to participate in a research study. These questions are designed to help a participant to understand what is expected of them, and to protect them from physical, mental, and financial difficulties.
The Jordan Report 20th Anniversary: Accelerated Development of Vaccines - Vaccines have become an increasingly important medical tool against a variety of public health problems, both in the United States and abroad. To inform policy-makers, researchers and the public about recent accomplishments and future trends in vaccine research, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) released this new edition of its comprehensive vaccine report.
Topical Microbicides Research - Women currently have no way to protect themselves from STDs that does not require male cooperation. Topical microbicides could change this. This report clarifies why women need microbicides, what an ideal microbicide would be like, and what is needed to support research and development of microbicides for HIV prevention.
TrialScope (Copyright © UCSF-CHI) - TrialScope is a comprehensive database of organizations conducting HIV-related clinical research in the United States. It is designed to connect researchers, care providers, patient advocates, and people with HIV to sites conducting HIV/AIDS clinical research in a given state.
What is an AIDS Clinical Trial? - This publication discusses AIDS Clinical Trials. It also covers topics such as: what they are, questions to ask your doctor about participating, and where to get more information.
Why Volunteer? Clinical Trials of Medical Treatments - This on-line booklet encourages people, including minorities and women, to participate in clinical trials and some of the benefits from doing so.

Organizations

= Indicates Federal Resources

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