The Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC) runs the project with Cuba
The long-term goal "is to develop vaccines that improve the quality of life of patients infected with the virus.
vortiz@ivic.ve
Millions of people die annually in the world caused by viruses such as hepatitis B. Even in Venezuela, the virus causes havoc, but a research project jointly with Cuba, aims to develop vaccines to combat the disease.
The hepatitis B virus was first identified fifty years ago, but already has an effective vaccine for the eight versions of the disease. It is contracted through exposure to body fluids (blood, saliva, semen) previously contaminated by the hepatitis B virus also affects liver function and has a high probability of causing cirrhosis and cancer in patients chronically infected. Man is the only reservoir of the disease and its most visible feature is usually the yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice).
In 2006, the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC) established cooperative projects with the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) of Cuba to develop vaccines for the control and treatment emerging diseases (newly discovered or increase in the population) and re-emerging (apparently controlled), with emphasis on hepatitis B, dengue and HIV / AIDS.
binational initiative is in its second year of implementation and responsible for part of Center of Microbiology and Cell Biology IVIC are Dr. Ferdinando Liprandi, head of the Laboratory of Biology of Viruses, and Flor Pujol, head of the Laboratory of Molecular Virology. The experiments involved combining advanced scientific technologies including molecular biology, bioinformatics and virology.
Skinless yellow
All patients chronically infected with hepatitis B will benefit from the research, in particular indigenous communities, which in the case Venezuela, are the most vulnerable.
In Venezuela, hepatitis B has four pockets of high risk to the Amerindian population: Amazonas, Delta Amacuro, Sierra de Perija in Zulia and Barinas, with an intermediate level of prevalence. From the beginning, the project raised the search for an immunotherapeutic vaccine in hepatitis B, ie, "for people already infected, development of vaccines based therapies" said Dr. Flor Pujol, head of the Laboratory of Molecular Virology IVIC .
The Venezuelan experience from the Center Microbiology and Cell Biology IVIC has devoted to tracking and molecular analysis of hepatitis B, C and D in Venezuelan Amerindians, in collaboration with researchers from the Amazon Center for Research and Control of Tropical Diseases (CAICET) of
Your contribution is given by the monitoring of patients receiving the vaccine and molecular analysis of the disease, because "there molecular markers that are reviewed during infection and can help us forecast to see if the patient is responding well to treatment or not imunoterapéutico. We know that not everyone responds the same, "he said.
For its part, the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) Cuba produces a recombinant (genetically modified) anti-hepatitis B known to Herberbiovac HB, marketed in ten countries and used heavily in the island since 1992, making it possible for the first time ever, the elimination of acute illness in children under 15 years of cases of acute hepatitis B in children under 5 years since 1999. It has also significantly reduced the incidence of the disease in the general population.
addition to producing a vaccine, the Cubans staged a pre-recruitment characterization of patients participating in a clinical study of therapeutic vaccination anti-hepatitis B infection, which has already been approved by the regulatory authorities. Next step is the extraction of blood from patients to characterize the initial cellular immune response, and performing other characteristics during and after completion of the vaccination and antiviral treatment for hepatitis B infection.
Since last year, examines the outlook for the types of hepatitis B circulating in Cuba, which, according to the specialist, significant differences with regard to those who have been in our country due to ethnic component. "In Venezuela we have retained an Amerindian component and this is reflected in viruses that are more indigenous type. In contrast, in Cuba what you have is an African component, in addition to migration and the contacts that Cuba has had recently with other parts of the world. "
A future
Venezuelan specialists were emphatic in stating that no specific date for obtaining or producing vaccines. "These are the first studies and the development of vaccines and drugs of any kind are long term, one that does is provide a stage," said Dr. Flor Pujol.
Dr. Ferdinando Liprandi explained that any proof of vaccination has to go through a series of stages: formulation in the laboratory, experimental tests in animals, and studies of toxicity and efficacy in both a small number of infected volunteers and in larger groups .
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