SAN ANTONIO - The executive director of the San Antonio AIDS Foundation (SAAF) lost a cousin to the disease years ago and that sparked his involvement in the local organization and he is cautiously optimistic about some medical research involving a vaccine to possibly prevent HIV infection.
The Texas Biomedical Research Institute has applied for a patent for its vaccine to prevent HIV or the Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
Someone with the virus could become infected with AIDS, a deadly disease. According to researchers, the vaccine would be a single dose that last a lifetime and would continually producing disease fighting cells.
"We are certainly excited about this, but our stance is, still, because there is no cure or vaccine proven to work, that we still believe in prevention, education and practicing safe sex," said David Ewell of SAAF.
According to Joe Carey, Vice President of Public Affairs, the research institute plans to test the vaccine on animals before any human testing.
