spastic paraparesis from HTLV-1

[AlvinBishop]

Any news on this, or are they still stalling on a vaccine?

[AlvinBishop]

Hello; the following text is an abstract of the public report presented in 1996 by Virologix. The text says explicitly that an HTLV vaccine was found and tested on animals, with the result of a 100% immunization. The Company announced trials on humans for the following year, located in Brasil. But meanwhile it was acquired by AccessPharma.The vaccine is said to warrant immunization; but it's reasonable to expect that it would have a curative power too, maybe definitively.Hope and pray that AccessPharma could develop it as soon as possible; or determine that the vaccine is a flop.If there is somewhere a potentially effective treatment - maybe a cure! - for a terrible disease that afflicts and kills millions of persons worldwide and that has no other treatment, no one treatment, wich Right can permit that it remains undeveloped? It sounds like a death sentence.This is a vocation I hope many others will join with.This is a vocation I hope the Health Organizations would care.People are dying, with an unexpressable pain!my Best Wishes, Aldoushttp://www.secinfo.com/dr4ur.91X7.htm#286vSECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSIONWashington, D.C. 20549________________________________________ FORM SB-2REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDERTHE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933______________________________ VIROLOGIX CORPORATION(Name of Small Business Issuer in its Charter) DELAWARE 2834 13-3864869(State or Other Jurisdiction of (Primary Standard Industrial (I.R.S. EmployerIncorporation or Organization) Classification Code Number) Identification ….HTLV-II HTLV-I shares many characteristics with the closely related virus HTLV-II.Like HTLV-I, HTLV-II is a retrovirus that binds to mature human T lymphocytes, although there is evidence that it may infect B lymphocytes as well. HTLV-II hasa worldwide distribution due to its modes of transmission, but there are severalareas where it appears to be endemic. These areas principally appear to be isolated populations of Amerindians of Central and South America, where the incidence of seropositive individuals may reach 80%. More generally, however, the prevalence ranges between 2-9% of Amerindians, including native Americans of the southwest United States. One of the leading reservoirs of HTLV-II in the United States and Europe appears to be IVDUs, where, in one study, the incidence of HTLV-II was 16%. HTLV-II predominates over HTLV-I in IVDUs, with HTLV-II responsible for 89-98% of all HTLV infections in this group. In North America, HTLV-II appears to be at least as common as HTLV-I. Like HTLV-I, the modes of transmission of HTLV-II consist principally ofmaternal transmission, primarily through breast feeding, homosexual transmission, and transmission through contaminated blood products, including blood transfusions, transplants, and sharing of contaminated needles in IVDUs. While it is less well characterized than HTLV-I, infection with HTLV-IIhas also recently been associated with HTLV-associated myelopathy. HTLV-II has also been linked to large granular lymphocytic leukemia, the cutaneous T lymphocyte neoplasm mycosis fungoides, and certain autoimmune diseases. In addition, HIV-positive individuals carrying HTLV-II have a significantly increased incidence of AIDS-associated non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and acquired ichthyosis (scaling of the skin) than do HIV-positive patients without HTLV-II. Prevention of Infection and the Role of Vaccination Current knowledge of the modes of transmission of HTLV-I have permittedthe use of public health measures to reduce the rates of infection in some areas, e.g. by elimination of breast feeding and safe sex practices. However, this is not feasible in some instances and such interventions are unlikely to succeed in the long term, particularly in developing countries. Effective vaccines against HTLV-I and HTLV-II would be of significantclinical value. The viruses are widespread; HTLV-associated diseases can be life-threatening, debilitating and incurable; and the risk of developing a serious clinical disease (about 2-5%) is comparable to other viruses for which vaccines are widely used. Furthermore, the development of such vaccines is scientifically and technically feasible. The feasibility of such a vaccine is rooted in several findings. Perhapsmost importantly, there appears to be natural immunity to HTLV-I infection in humans, as evidenced by the placental transmission of maternal antibodies to thefetus with subsequent protection of the newborn from viral transmission in the mother's breast milk. Preliminary studies in animals have also demonstrated thatprotection can be achieved by appropriate immunization strategies. Another critical point is that the viral components which appear to be the leading vaccine candidates remain genetically and serologically stable in the population, unlike those on HIV. Indeed, the genomes of all the strains of HTLV-I isolated thus far in Japan, Africa, the Caribbean, and Central and South America are 98 percent identical. Hence, a vaccine generated against one strain of HTLV-I will likely protect against the majority of strains, although there can be no such assurance. The Company believes that the similarity between HTLV-I and HTLV-II make the development of an effective HTLV-II vaccine equally feasible. The Company's Vaccine Candidates for HTLV-I and HTLV-II On the basis of the information described above, investigators at Rockefeller have developed vaccine candidates for HTLV-I and HTLV-II using recombinant DNA techniques. The leading candidates for vaccine formulation against HTLV-I infection are the surface glycoproteins. These proteins are so named because of the carbohydrates, or sugars, which the virus has attached to the proteins in strategic places. The Company has genetically engineered a novelversion of one of these glycoproteins in a manner which produces large, previously unattainable quantities of the desired protein in either a glycosylated (with sugars) or non-glycosylated form. Both forms are easily purified for use as a vaccine. Initial studies with rabbits immunized with a modified non-glycosylatedform of the HTLV-I glycoprotein have demonstrated 100 percent protection againstchallenge with HTLV-I-infected cells. While the glycosylated forms more closely resemble the glycoproteins naturally produced by the virus, these results indicate that glycosylation is not required to confer protection. Nevertheless, the Company is continuing to evaluate both glycosylated and non-glycosylated vaccine candidates for HTLV-I. The Company's vaccine candidate for HTLV-II is based on a modified glycosylated form of the HTLV-II glycoprotein. This subunit vaccine was recentlytested in a rabbit model of HTLV-II infection. In the studies, 22 rabbits were immunized at 0, 4, 8 and 16 weeks and were challenged with virus at 18 weeks or 6 months. In all 22 animals, the vaccine elicited high antibody titers and protection against viral infection. Following further animal studies to optimize both vaccines and determineroutes of administration, the Company intends to begin human trials in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Company believes it has identified a suitable population for Phase I safety and immunogenicity trials and expects that these Phase I trials will begin in Brazil in the first half of 1997.

This is all really good stuff, but WHERE DID THIS TECHNOLOGY GO?

[AlvinBishop]

To the person who mentioned Valproic acid for treatment, it acts in a similar manner to azacytidine (making infected cells visible to the immune system). Recently a patient in Greece was treated with 8 months of azacytidine, which apparently cleared the virus.

[Donmiguel]

help! i am looking for others with this disease(HTLV-1) to see
if their treatments are improving their condition

i go to a major cancer center, and there is no one else being treated in the
whole hospital-my doctor is giving me methadone (6x10 mg 4 x daily) for
the pain,also actiq 800 mg for pain-also trying lidoderm patches,electro-
therapy,mucle relaxers

but still have increasing leg pain and spasicity

anyone with any suggestions?

peace, john

HI John I too am looking for other who are suffering with this ailment. Donmiguel

[AlvinBishop]

DonMig,Other people are suffering with this, we need to unite! Please sign any online petitions related to HTLV.Best wishes / HTLVhelp

[Ustas]

Hello everyone,

I am scared of this and any other fatal virus.

I have a few guestions i'd love for any HTLV positive person to answer.
1- did u experience any symptom a week after your exposure?
2- was abdominal pain the first?
3- did u experience flu like illness such as, flu,stiff neck, fever, cold.
4- did u experience burning sensation in limbs
5- blurred vision and eyes gets red a few months after?

I am nervous

[AlvinBishop]

Good news for HTLV sufferers! The FDA is close to approving Tofacitinib for the treatment of arthritis, but the hidden surprise is that since Tofacitinib is a JAK inhibitor, it also is effective in treatment two disorders caused by HTLV: TSP and ATL. So once this drug is approved, 25 million HTLV sufferers will want it in order to treat TSP (which can lead to being in a wheelchair) and ATL (which can lead to a rapidly fatal leukemia).

Best wishes.

[AlvinBishop]

Xeljanz (tofacitinib) has been approved on November 7th, 2012 - the hidden surprise is that it is effective against two disorders caused by HTLV: HAM and ATL. Since there are WAY more HTLV sufferers than arthritis sufferers, this drug will sell well because HTLV sufferers have no treatment for their suffering thus far.

[AlvinBishop]

Good news! On Nov 7th, 2012, the FDA approved Xeljanz (tofacitinib) for the treatment of arthritis. The hidden surprise in this drug is that it is effective against HTLV, and its conditions (HAM and ATL). Please consider trying a week's dose of Xeljanz to see if your symptoms improve!Best wishes.