.

%73
P 0OX PUZZLE P 3UPER BUGS P 1UESTIONABLE
-ILITARY VACCINATION !RE BACTERIA CURE *IM 9OUNG
TRIGGERS RARE CASE WINNING THE PUTS PROSTATE
OF SECONDARY BATTLE AGAINST CANCER VACCINE
SMALLPOX ANTIBIOTICS IN PERSPECTIVE

3CIENTISTS .)( IN CONFLICT OVER PRECIOUS ()6 SAMPLES

© 2007 Nature Publishing Group http://www.nature.com/naturemedicine

4HE 53 .ATIONAL )NSTITUTES OF (EALTH .)( IS "UT MANY OTHERS CAME AWAY WITH THE GRADUATE STUDENTS IF WE JUST SAY ;#(!6)= HAVE
REFUSING TO FUND GRANTS THAT DIRECTLY COMPETE IMPRESSION THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO GIVE AWAY THE MONEY WELL GIVE THEM THE SAMPLES HOW
WITH THE AIMS OF ITS OWN ()6 VACCINE PROJECT THEIR SAMPLES WITH NOTHING TO SHOW FOR IT IN DO WE TRAIN OUR GRAD STUDENTSv /VERBAUGH
THATS THE ALLEGATION OF A GROUP OF !)$3 RETURNˆAND NATURALLY DECLINED THE REQUEST ASKS
RESEARCHERS WHO SAY THEY ARE BEING EFFECTIVELY h7E THOUGHT NO WAY 7E HAVE INVESTED IN /THERS ARE IN EVEN MORE DIRE STRAITS
FORCED TO COLLABORATE WITH THE #ENTER FOR ()6 THESE COHORTS FOR  YEARS THIS IS SOMETHING ! DOZEN MEMBERS OF $OUG 2ICHMANS LAB AT
!)$3 6ACCINE )MMUNOLOGY #(!6)  THE WE WANT TO DO OURSELVESv SAYS (ANNEKE THE 5NIVERSITY OF #ALIFORNIA IN 3AN $IEGO HAVE
.)(S  MILLION SCHEME 3CHUITEMAKER A RESEARCHER AT THE 5NIVERSITY OF SPENT MORE THAN A DECADE COLLECTING NEARLY
h! LOT OF PEOPLE ARE BEING TOLD TO LINK UP WITH !MSTERDAMS !CADEMIC -EDICAL #ENTRE  SPECIMENS FROM  PARTICIPANTS 4HE
#(!6) OR YOULL LOSE YOUR FUNDING ) MEAN 3CHUITEMAKERS PROJECT HAS SUPPORT FROM THE LARGE .)( GRANT THAT SUPPORTS THE PROJECT IS UP
THATS NOT THE WAY TO DO SCIENCEvSAYS ONE INSIDER $UTCH GOVERNMENT AND IN THE END SHE SAYS SHE FOR REVIEW IN -AY )F ITS NOT FUNDED 2ICHMAN
WHO REQUESTED ANONYMITY MAY COLLABORATE WITH #(!6)h"UT IT WAS FUNNY SAYS HE MAY BE FORCED TO GIVE UP HIS SAMPLES
!T ISSUE ARE SAMPLES OF @ACUTE INFECTION TO SEE HOW SURPRISED THEY WERE AT THE NEGATIVE SOMETHING HE INITIALLY DECLINED TO DO
COLLECTED FROM INDIVIDUALS IN THE FIRST WEEKS REACTIONv SHE SAYS h4HEY MUST REALIZE WHAT h)F )M IN A COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP )M
AFTER ()6 INFECTION !MONG #(!6)S GOALS THEYRE ASKING FORv HAPPY TO SHARE BUT ITS THE FIRST TIME THAT
IS UNDERSTANDING HOW THE BODY RESPONDS TO 0ART OF THE PROBLEM SOME RESEARCHERS SAY SOMEONE HAS ASKED ME FOR SPECIMENS IN
INFECTION DURING THAT TIME WHICH COULD HELP IS THAT #(!6) WAS LAUNCHED IN  WITHOUT WHICH THE AGREEMENT IS NOT COLLABORATIVEv SAYS
DESIGN AN EFFECTIVE VACCINE ALREADY HAVING ANY SAMPLES IN HAND .AT -ED 2ICHMANh) HAVENT BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY
,AST YEAR #(!6) APPROACHED RESEARCH TEAMS     AND NOW NEEDS THEM TO JUSTIFY TO HAVE INTELLECTUAL INPUT SO ) DIDNT FEEL
ALL OVER THE WORLD ASKING THEM TO SHARE THEIR ITS HEFTY COFFERS TO #ONGRESS COMFORTABLE SHARINGv
COLLECTIONS OF ACUTE INFECTION SAMPLES "UT THE h) CAN UNDERSTAND WHY #(!6) NEEDS CONTROL $UKE 5NIVERSITY RESEARCHER "ARTON (AYNES
REQUEST CONFUSED SCIENTISTS MANY OF WHOM OF THE SAMPLESv SAYS "RUCE 7ALKER PROFESSOR OF WHO LEADS #(!6) SAYS THESE RESEARCHERS
COMPLAINED THAT IT WAS UNCLEAR WHAT THEY COULD MEDICINE AT (ARVARD 5NIVERSITY h) CAN ALSO PERCEPTION IS THE RESULT OF A MISUNDERSTANDING
EXPECT IN RETURN FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION .AT UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE ARE SO RELUCTANT TO GIVE h) AM SORRY IF THIS WAS THE IMPRESSION
-ED     THEM AWAY PARTICULARLY AT A TIME WHEN PEOPLE GIVEN DURING SOME DISCUSSIONSv (AYNES SAYS
3OME CONSORTIA INCLUDING 3OUTH !FRICAS ARE NOT SURE OF THEIR OWN SURVIVABILITYv7ALKER h7E LEARNED WE GOT BETTER AT HAVING THESE
#!02)3! AND THE 5NIVERSITY OF .ORTH WHO DECLINED TO SHARE HIS ACUTE INFECTION DISCUSSIONS )M CERTAINLY SORRY IF THE IMPRESSION
#AROLINA AGREED TO SHARE THEIR SAMPLES ,AST SAMPLES HAS AN .)( GRANT THATS UP FOR REVIEW IS REMAINING THAT THATS THE ONLY WAY #(!6)
YEAR THE GROUP ALSO ORGANIZED %URO#(!6) IN -AY BUT IS HOPING TO RAISE MONEY FROM THE WOULD WORKv
WHICH POOLED  SAMPLES FROM %UROPE AND 'ATES &OUNDATION (AYNES SAYS THOSE WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED
!USTRALIA *ULIE /VERBAUGHS TEAM AT THE &RED SAMPLES SO FAR ARE hFULL PARTICIPANTS AND FULL
(UTCHINSON COLLABORATORS BOTH INTELLECTUALLY AND FOR
#ANCER 2ESEARCH AUTHORSHIPv 4HE INVESTIGATORS ALSO ALL RECEIVE
#ENTER HAS BEEN SUPPORT FROM #(!6) FOR THE WORK HE ADDS
COLLECTING SAMPLES %VEN BEYOND THE FEW RESEARCHERS DIRECTLY
IN +ENYA FOR MORE AFFECTED BY THE FRACAS OVER ACUTE INFECTION
THAN  YEARS SAMPLES #(!6) HAS CREATED A BITTER DIVIDE
3HE ALSO DECLINED AMONG ()6 VACCINE RESEARCHERS -UCH OF
#(!6)S REQUEST THE CRITICISM AGAINST THE PROJECT IS GIVEN
!LTHOUGH SHE ANONYMOUSLYˆFOR FEAR THE SCIENTISTS SAY OF
MAY HAVE TO WRITE RETALIATION FROM THE .)(
MULTIPLE GRANTS TO "UT THE IDEA THAT THE .)( WILL NOT FUND
KEEP HER PROJECT GRANTS THAT COMPETE WITH #(!6) IS COMPLETELY
AFLOAT SHE SAYS UNFOUNDED SAYS #ARL $IFFENBACH ACTING
MEMBERS OF HER DIRECTOR OF THE .)(S DIVISION OF !)$3
TEAM NEED THE h&UNDING IS TIGHT WERE ALL IN AGREEMENT ON
SAMPLES FOR THEIR THATv $IFFENBACH SAYS h4HATS THE NATURE OF
OWN RESEARCH PEER REVIEW )T HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH #(!6)
3ORE SPOT 4HE .)( IS BEING ACCUSED OF FORCING SCIENTISTS TO GIVE UP THEIR h&OR THOSE OF PERIODv
SAMPLES OF ACUTE ()6 INFECTION
US WHO WORK WITH !POORVA -ANDAVILLI 7HISTLER

.!452% -%$)#).% 6/,5-%  \ .5-"%2  \ -!9