Israeli Prof Shomin Slavin addressing a conferenceorganised by the Yaoundé-based PK FokamInstitute of Excellence in Cameroon. YUH TIMCHIA| NATION MEDIA GROUPAn Israeli medic is behind a seeminglygroundbreaking treatment that could hold hopefor HIV-infected patients across Africa.Prof Shimon Slavin pioneered the novel techniqueof immunotherapy through stem celltransplantation.He claims his new approach can effectivelyreplace an immune system that has fallen apartwith a new one, with minimal intoxication ofpatients, especially if the donors are resistant toHIV.The Israeli was one of the two leading expertswho addressed a weekend conference inCameroon on the use of stem cells in anti-ageingmedicine and in the treatment of malignant andnon-malignant illnesses.The conference was organised by the Yaoundé-based PK Fokam Institute of Excellence.Prof Slavin, who is the medical and scientificdirector of Israel’s International Centre for CellTherapy and Cancer Immunotherapy (CTCI) in TelAviv, says his immunotherapy technique is basedon a newly discovered biological compound.The compound he did not name but said wasdiscovered by a Japanese scientist working in theUS, “can activate macrophages, which are a typeof white blood cells that form part of the humanbody’s defence mechanism, to eliminateinfections and induce an immune responseagainst infections”.A pilot study, he says, has proven that this can doaway with the viral load in persons with HIV, butaffirms the results sample is still too small to leadto a broad-spectrum conclusion.He has expressed his readiness to carry outbigger clinical trials in Cameroon and otherAfrican countries if authorities give him theirapproval and purchase the compound.“It is simple,” Prof Slavin says. “It’s one or twoinjections a week which patients themselves canadminister at home. If we can prove thattreatment with macrophage-activated factorsindeed eliminates HIV, this will be important greatnews to the world.”A great deal of HIV research has laid more stresson vaccines or drugs that only slow the progressof the virus.In 2003, the late Prof Victor Anomah Ngu, whowas Cameroon’s Health minister, announced thediscovery of a therapeutic vaccine against HIV/Aids, but the findings of the researcher have notbeen formally validated.Clinics set up by Prof Ngu in Cameroon continueto claim they effectively treat HIV.Though Prof Slavin’s new technique could offeroptimism that a ‘cure’ for HIV/Aids is in the offing,it could also put him on a collision course withpharmaceutical giants who have a lucrativemarket providing off-the-shelf anti-retrovirals(ARVs).He says he does not underrate thepharmaceutical companies, but is sure they willnot be happy hearing about his treatment.