WASHINGTON -- TSI Corp. has been awarded a five-year, $3.2million contract from the National Institute of Allergy andInfectious Diseases (NIAID) to conduct preclinical studies ofexperimental simian acquired immunodeficiency virussyndrome (SIV) vaccines. NIAID is part of the NationalInstitutes of Health.

SIV is an HIV-like disease that occurs in primates. Currentlythere are no completely satisfactory animal models for HIV."By evaluating the efficacy of candidate SIV vaccines,researchers hope to learn which AIDS vaccine or candidateswill protect against AIDS infection and ameliorate the diseaseprogression once a patient is infected," according to TSI.

TSI, based in Worcester, Mass., develops disease models basedon genetic engineering and transgenic techniques. It is alsodeveloping animal strains designed to produce pharmaceuticalproteins. Its stock (NASDAQ:TSIN) closed at $5.63, up 50 cents,on Monday. -- Steve Usdin

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