CHENNAI, Jan 6: The good news on the AIDS front is that India is forging ahead in making an AIDS vaccine based on DNA, the genetic material in all cells, and has found two compounds that could have potential use in treatment.The bad news is that the country is ``miserably failing'' in its endeavour to stop spread of the disease, collect sufficient data, study patterns of spread of the disease and prepare mathematical models to study the AIDS virus multiplication and transmission, according to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) director general Dr Nirmal Kumar Ganguly.The genes have been isolated form the C sub-type of the HIV-1 strain that is most prevalent in India, accounting for almost 82 per cent of the HIV infections in the country.The DNA vaccines can be introduced using pox viruses as vectors or vehicles to carry them inside. Indian scientists are also testing use of bog vaccine as a carrier for the AIDS DNA vaccine. Japanese scientists have already developed such a BC-AIDS DNA vaccinecombination which is being tested in human volunteers in Thailand, Ganguly said.The Indian DNA vaccines were being tested in animals and it would take eight to 10 years before they were available for commercial use, Ganguly said.Another positive development was on the treatment front. NARI has found two compounds that stop multiplication of the HIV, holding potential for use in AIDS therapy.The ICMR chief, however, issued a grim warning to the delegates that India was not doing enough to stop spread of the disease. Ganguly said the country ``is failing miserably'', warning that AIDS control did not stop at survelliance or collecting data. It involved deep insight into the social customs, practices, laws of the land and culture prevalent in the country to evolve strategies to combat the spread of the epidemic.
