Researchers Knock Out HIV

[🜲 PoLiX]

[JDS]

Wow for real? this is by far the best news' topic ive ever read. hurray!

[Chambahs]

Nice find polix.

[rootbear75]

Wow for real? this is by far the best news' topic ive ever read. hurray!

he said it all

[Gravitron]

One down.

Five to go.

[LiDDiS]

Even if AIDS were cured, 90% of the people who need the treatment will never be able to get it Edited October 26, 2007 by LiDDiS

[MikeTheNose]

Sounds like someone would need treatment for a long time to really say that they are cured...if they even become cured.

[★ Dav]

trouble is the virus isnt destroyed and can still spared and also mutate eventually. Its a step froward but there is much still to do.

[Hoch]

I was just discussing this issue with a friend of mine who is a

research scientist back at Cambridge University. Although he

is currently working on a project for the Ebola virus, he told

me that it is because of the HIV virus ability to mutate that

this presents the greatest challenge to scientists. Also, there is

not just one HIV virus, but at least eight or 11 variations (I can-

not recall how many he said). Nonetheless, when protease inhib-

itors were developed they did go along way to at least reducing

the viral load.

 

I suspect that unless something more can be done on the molec-

ular level, that any developments will be an aide to living longer

rather than eradicating the virus itself. I should think, however,

that any advancements is a positive sign.

 

 

-Hoch

[★ Dav]

I was just discussing this issue with a friend of mine who is a

research scientist back at Cambridge University. Although he

is currently working on a project for the Ebola virus, he told

me that it is because of the HIV virus ability to mutate that

this presents the greatest challenge to scientists. Also, there is

not just one HIV virus, but at least eight or 11 variations (I can-

not recall how many he said). Nonetheless, when protease inhib-

itors were developed they did go along way to at least reducing

the viral load.

 

I suspect that unless something more can be done on the molec-

ular level, that any developments will be an aide to living longer

rather than eradicating the virus itself. I should think, however,

that any advancements is a positive sign.

 

 

-Hoch

 

A lot of the work is done by high throughput screening for drug design, or using biochemistry to design drugs at the atomic level and understand how mutation avoids inhibition.

 

The trouble is that the enzymes are quite similar to human enzymes so the toxicity of high. Some drugs (protease inhibitors and a few reverse transcriptase inhibitors) can be non-toxic but aren't enough on their own and are overcome by mutation.

 

The difficulty is producing something powerful enough to inhibit the viral mechanisms without interfering with host enzymes and be difficult to avoid by mutation.

 

The reason why combination therapy is effective is because if a mutation occurs to render one or two drugs ineffective the remaining drugs will still have an effect and prevent the mutation propergating. Downide if that sufferers have to take some 40 drugs, most of which to counter side effects of the anti-retrovirals they are taking.

[Aileron]

Even if AIDS were cured, 90% of the people who need the treatment will never be able to get it

 

!@#$%^&* you're a pessimist. Its one thing to say the gl!@#$%^&* is half empty, but you are calling it half-empty while its under the faucet. When the prototype is perfected and distributed properly, then we might very well wipe this disease out.

[★ Dav]

its all driven by money ail, if you can afford it you will get it. GSK isn't going to come over all charitable and sell its drugs cheap or give them to Africa for free.

 

It MAY be possible but would take a very long time and would have to be done along with safe sex measures to reduce the spread. Unfortunately the pope still maintains condoms = !@#$%^&* and aids runs rampant because of this lack of education and the church standing in its way.

[★ D1st0rt]

Haven't they been doing "combination therapy" for years?

[Aileron]

Dav, first off I thought you were way too mature to resort to such hate. Secondly, last I checked it was 'birth controll = !@#$%^&*' and birth controll pills don't stop the spread of STDs. Third of all I wouldn't recommend counting on a condom to prevent one from catching HIV either. I'd rather try the "don't sleep with someone that has HIV" approach.

 

I mean, blaming HIV on the Church goes beyond all levels of ridiculous. Previously people pretty much obeyed the Church's ideas on abstenance, STDs didn't spread much, and HIV was non-existent. HIV has probably been around a long time, but the Church's 'narrow dogmatic views against sexual expression' had kept the disease confined to the jungle. The Church has prevented the spread of HIV for 1900 years. However, suddenly some hippies decide to start a "sexual revolution" and these diseases spread all over the place. Now, if the Church were a much of jerks, we'd all be saying "I told you so", but that kind of rash stupidity is for the intellectual immature. However, what I would say is that it is pure foolishness to turn around and blame the Church for a problem caused by secularists.

[★ Dav]

Im not blaming it on the church, its merely a small factor (perhaps slightly overstated in my previous post) but a factor none the less. There is a lack of education in the use of condoms because of the influence of the church. Yes people seem to ignore some teachings but it would help a little and a few less sufferers is a few less to buy treatment for. Less sufferers will mean the funding to eliminate the virus is easier to reach should a cure become available.

[Aileron]

That's the other thing...quit selling humanity so short. If the cure was perfected and the only thing holding us back were funding, somebody would find a way.

[★ D1st0rt]

I'm gonna have to agree with Chris Rock on this one

[LiDDiS]

That's the other thing...quit selling humanity so short. If the cure was perfected and the only thing holding us back were funding, somebody would find a way.

 

Yeah just like polio, malaria, and other easily curable diseases. It's only been what? 50-60 years since antibiotics and polio vaccines have become cheap and easy to make? SOMEONE WILL FIND A WAY SOON!!!!!

Edited October 29, 2007 by LiDDiS

[ra$ta420]

hiv is a joke,stop !@#$%^&* !@#$%^&*ing and you wont get it

[★ Dav]

even sanitation hasnt made its way world wide, one of the most cost effective ways of reducing those dying from disease.

[NBVegita]

As for sanitation,

 

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

 

And the church teaches abstinence mostly, so actually if more people listened to the church there would be less std's.

 

!@#$%^&* when I was younger I was plenty promiscuous, and I have no love for the church, but even I can't blame std's on the church.

Edited October 29, 2007 by NBVegita

[🜲 Samapico]

And the church teaches abstinence mostly

That is before marriage. Then they want you to make tons of kids Which doesnt solve anything in africa

 

Who 'blamed' church for std's?

[jacob hunter!]

sounds cool.

[★ Dav]

As for sanitation,

 

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

 

And the church teaches abstinence mostly, so actually if more people listened to the church there would be less std's.

 

!@#$%^&* when I was younger I was plenty promiscuous, and I have no love for the church, but even I can't blame std's on the church.

 

I didn't blame the church, i just stated they are a barrier to educating some of the people who are affected by HIV/Aids on how to avoid transmitting infection. This is not saying they are the problem, just a small part in some places.

[Confess]

You guys seem to be !@#$%^&*ociating the "Church" with catholiscm, which it is not. They are a church, but not the Church. There are plenty of churches and plenty of views. Catholics believe that birth control is of the devil. And Catholics also aren't considered Christians, as they do not promote what a Christian is....a follower of Christ, one whom believes Jesus is the Messiah, and believes he died on the cross. There's nothing wrong with condoms in my opinion, and most Christians will encourage them, but the promote abstinance. In marriage, there is no reason why you should not be allowed to use birth control (with the exception of certain things, ie the day after pill), but this is what I feel, and most people will give what they feel, not what The Church believes.

 

You need to understand what The Church is. The Church is the Christians, not a building, and not a domination. It is those that choose to follow the Christ (Messiah).