ACTG Highlights

Preclinical 01

for Opportunistic Infections Associated with AIDS." This 2-day workshop was attended by
150 investigators from academia, industry, the FDA, and the National Institutes of Health.
The major goals of the workshop were to identify research and resource needs, to
reach a consensus on recommended research priorities, and to facilitate communication
among investigators working with the diverse opportunistic pathogens.
Review presentations in the plenary session addressed issues of clinical care,
epidemiology, and drug design. In these talks, the need for 01 treatments was presented in
the context of the worldwide AIDS epidemic, and the magnitude of the problem was thus
defined. It was noted how much is known about Pneumocystis compared with other
organisms, but how little still is known about its life cycle and pathogenesis. The
participants then divided into six working groups, each focused on a specific pathogen(s)
(Pneumocystis, Toxoplasma, enteric parasites, fungi, Mycobacterium, and CMV). The
working groups: (1) identified problems with drugs in clinical use, (2) discussed the
current understanding of each pathogen and its mode of infection, (3) set priorities for
research needs and resources, and (4) defined the role of MAID in the drug discovery and
development process.
Key points that emerged from the working group discussions are as follows:
1. The need for more effective, less toxic antimicrobials.
2. The need for more knowledge of the basic biology and pathophysiology of these
organisms.
3. The need to identify new chemotherapeutic targets through more basic research on
the biology and biochemistry of these organisms.
4. The need to improve and standardize test-tube culture systems and animal models
for testing potential therapeutic agents.
5. The need for a national repository of standardized reagents such as monoclonal
antibodies, gene libraries, and selected strains of certain pathogens.
6. The recommendation that more such meetings be held to coordinate and expedite
drug discovery and development.
Summaries are being prepared, to be published in a scientific journal, that will include
the specific recommendations from the individual working groups.
Prepared by:
Office of Communications
National Institute of Allergy
and Infectious Diseases
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892
May 1990