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A study has found that the drug AZT drastically reduces transmission of HIV from infected mothers to their newborns. Researchers say the finding will provide a real impetus for identifying more HIV-infected women during pregnanacies so that they can consider the benefit of AZT treatment

AZT has been shown to delay the progression from HIV infection to full-scale AIDS, although experience has shown the benefit generally wanes after a year or two. But [Anthony S. Fauci] said the finite period of pregnancy may allow AZT to reduce the risk of transmission to newborns

'It is the first indication that mother-to-child transmission of HIV can be at least decreased, if not prevented,' he said, 'and it will provide a real impetus for identifying more HIV-infected women during pregnancies so that they could consider the benefit of AZT treatment to themselves and their children.' Each newborn then received AZT in a syrup for six weeks. The infants were tested at regular intervals for 18 months. The tests included standard HIV tests and blood samples that were cultured in the laboratory to grow HIV. The study did not address the benefits of AZT therapy for women who had AIDS or with CD-4 cell counts lower than 200. Scientists know that HIV transmission rates go up as the CD-4 count drops. So another question that need to be answered is how much benefit there is for a child born to a pregnant woman with a low CD-4 count

A federally financed study has found that the drug AZT dramatically reduces fetal transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, from infected mothers to their children, government health officials said yesterday. The findings were considered so significant that the study, which began in April 1991, was ordered stopped on Friday, and officials are spending the holiday weekend notifying the 59 medical centers in the United States and France participating in the study to offer AZT to the pregnant women who had been receiving a placebo. 'It is the first indication that mother-to-child transmission of HIV can be at least decreased, if not prevented,' he said, 'and it will provide a real impetus for identifying more HIV-infected women during pregnancies so that they could consider the benefit of AZT treatment to themselves and their children.'

'It is the first indication that mother-to-child transmission of HIV can be at least decreased, if not prevented,' he said, 'and it will provide a real impetus for identifying more HIV-infected women during pregnancies so that they could consider the benefit of AZT treatment to themselves and their children,' he said. About 4 million women give birth in the United States each year, and the disease centers estimate that 6,000 to 7,000 of the women are HIV-infected. About 1,500 to 2,000 of their babies later become HIV-infected

[Gilbert H. Mudge] said that [Reggie Lewis] had a benign fainting condition known as neurocardiogenic syncope, and that he was 'quite optimistic that under medical supervision, Reggie Lewis will be able to return to professional basketball without limitation.' 'Lots' of Evidence [Nicholas Diaco], who said he had not been informed of the autopsy findings, said yesterday that he accepted the autopsy findings to explain Lewis's heart damage. 'We knew he had a defect,' Diaco said. 'What caused the defect we did not know. An old inflammation of the heart could have caused it, yes.' Dr. Thomas B. Graboys of the Brigham and Women's Hospital, a member of the Dream Team but not part of Mudge's team, said that he was surprised to learn how extensive the scarring was in Lewis's heart. 'We issued a statement after we met suggesting that Mr. Lewis had focal cardiomyopathy, which means that one particular area of the heart appeared to be damaged or working improperly,' Graboys said. The surprise was that the scarring 'was throughout the entire heart, not just in one area.' Specifics Are Surprising

Last year in a preliminary report the scientists said they were 'astonished' by how effective the Fabs were in the animal experiments. The Fabs are part of a broader area of research interest in the use of human viral antibodies to prevent and treat many viral infections. Targeting Specific Viruses With new techniques, scientists have developed more specific antibodies, known as monoclonal antibodies, that can be directed against certain antigens in viruses. Scientists are using monoclonal Fabs, which are tiny pieces of immune substances in the blood called immunoglobulins, to identify the number, relationship and relative importance of protective antigenic sites on the surface of many viruses to determine how the human immune system 'sees' them. 'This is the first time that a study has demonstrated the successful use of recombinant Fabs in a therapy for a viral infection in an animal,' Dr. Dennis R. Burton, one of the authors from Scripps said in a news release issued by the Federal institute in Bethesda

A novel immune therapy has cured respiratory syncytial virus in mice, and a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Feb 14, 1994 says it holds great promise for treating the most common cause of pneumonia in infants and young children

The Nobel committee cited Dr. Temin for 'discoveries concerning the interaction between tumor viruses and the genetic material of the cell.' He shared the prize with his former professor, Dr. Renato Dulbecco, and another researcher, Dr. David Baltimore. Dr. Temin's award was for his role in discovering reverse transcriptase, the enzyme that helps certain viruses subvert the genetic machinery of the cells they infect. Dr. Temin found the enzyme in a virus that causes cancer in chickens, while Dr. Baltimore independently discovered reverse transcriptase in a virus that causes cancer in mice. Dr. Temin had a profound effect in teaching students and colleagues by being a terror and a mentor in the same session. Though some who went through the experience felt emotionally wounded, they also said that Dr. Temin's criticisms helped improve the quality of their scientific work. Dr. [Robin Weiss] recalled a 1968 visit by Dr. Temin to his lab in London: 'He tore up my work and I felt about two inches high. Then he built me up again, saying 'This work is very important but you haven't done the right experiment yet.' ' Dr. Weiss added, 'There was no sloppy thinking when you were in Howard's presence.' Praised by Colleague Dr. Weiss said that Dr. Temin 'was not a Nobel Prize winner who rested on his laurels -- it did not go to his head.' Dr. Weiss added, 'He continued to publish thought-provoking papers' until his last illness

An independent panel of medical experts convened by the NIH said on Feb 9, 1994 that antimicrobial agents, including antibiotics, should be added to the conventional treatments for stomach ulcers. The recommendation sets a new standard of care for millions of people who suffer from the common ailment