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[MetalSlimeHunt]

A (reasonably cheap) vaccine would still be better (if significatively less cool) in order to be able to embark in mass prevention campagins, but still..

A vaccine, you say?

note: a vaccine is pretty damned hard, because HIV mutates at a very rapid rate.

What? No it doesn't. There are only about 12 variants of HIV total. Four belong to HIV II, a varient that only exists in West Africa and is difficult to become infected with, while the other eight belong to HIV I, which is worldwide.

The vaccine is difficult because vaccines are difficult in general. This vaccine is a work of genius, as it uses a genetically modified cluster of HIV cells to confer the immunity.

[ChairmanPoo]

(Actually, HIV does mutate pretty damn fast. IIRC it's replication enzymes get one pair of bases wrong out of each twenty. Hence it's fast development of drug resistances and the need for multidrug regimees. )

[stabbymcstabstab]

So does the Flu and look what we have a vaccine for.

[Sirus]

You mean that vaccine we have to redevelop every year or so?

[penguinofhonor]

I would gladly accept a yearly HIV vaccine.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

There actually have been proposals for a permanent influenza vaccine. It would theoretically target based upon parts of the influenza's genetics that won't successfully mutate because doing so would be fatal to the influenza.

And yes, even a yearly HIV vaccine would massively cripple its ability to spread.

[Sirus]

Thing is, if it were that easy we'd have one by now. In any case, vaccines don't cure disease, they help prevent it. That's why there's no real point in getting the flu shot if you already have the flu.

[Twi]

I would gladly accept a yearly HIV vaccine.

Yar.

[Mrhappyface]

Where and how did they get these stem cells?

[Sirus]

Umbilical cord blood, from the sound of it. Not sure though.

[Reudh]

Imo we should focus on the CCR5 receptor antagonist drugs rather than stem cell therapy.

Blocking the chemokine receptors makes AIDS completely unable to get into the cells.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Conferring CCR5-immunity is what the therapy in the OP does.

[Reudh]

Yeah, but...

I dunno. I mean, we already have existing several drugs that are CCR5 receptor antagonists that block AIDS almost 100%.

[The Fool]

Where and how did they get these stem cells?

There is the controversial one that has a lot of hate, but you can also get it from adult skin cells now. I remember seeing research for that a few years back.

[Reudh]

It was umbilical blood they got it from, but we do now have adult stem cells available which are over 9000 times more ethical.