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[Nilocy]

Yeah, I'm doing an essay on viruses and their application in modern medicine. And I'm using this review of a study carrier out on our favourite animal, the rhesus macaque. Its quite interesting.

tl; dr?
basically they used a gene that creates a weird enzyme to cover the SIV, its like HIV only it effect monkeys instead. And this enzyme stops the virus from 'latching' onto other cells and ultimately reproducing itself. And its inserted into the blood stream of these monkeys through the use of an AAV, like a harmless carrier virus. And they found some encouraging results, 6 out of the 9 monkeys infected and immunised resisted the virus, while the 6 that were in the non-immunised control group died...

[zchris13]

Poor monkeys...

[ein]

That's amazing.
I always knew something like this would happen.
A cynic would probably say, "Yeah, but once they use it on humans, it'll mutate and kill us off."

[Zai]

A cynic would probably say, "Yeah, but once they use it on humans, it'll mutate and kill us off."

Nah. Too broad. At the very worst (as in, the enzyme reacts very differently with HIV in humans than it did with SIV in rhesus macaques), it'd kill those with HIV off. Unless the enzyme can TRAVEL THROUGH THE AIR?

So will they be starting clinical trials on humans soon? /didnotclicklink

[ein]

A cynic would probably say, "Yeah, but once they use it on humans, it'll mutate and kill us off."

Nah. Too broad. At the very worst (as in, the enzyme reacts very differently with HIV in humans than it did with SIV in rhesus macaques), it'd kill those with HIV off. Unless the enzyme can TRAVEL THROUGH THE AIR?

So will they be starting clinical trials on humans soon? /didnotclicklink

Obviously, it will mutate into an airborne, waterborne infectious entity.
There will be no survivors...
Except people in Madagascar.

[Neonivek]

Hmm 1/3th Fatality rate with a chance of longterm side-effects and mutation of the HIV Virus?

Well... It is probably preferable for people who are guarenteed to die.

How did the Monkies die from the Retro-virus? Is the virus like an ordinary overpowerful virus or was something else going on?

[ein]

I would guess that it just didn't work for them and they died of the SIV.
Probably something having to do with blood type or genetic makeup.

[Zai]

Obviously, it will mutate into an airborne, waterborne infectious entity.
There will be no survivors...
Except people in Madagascar.

Damn that Madagascar.

They make me lose every time!

[Cthulhu]

Hmm 1/3th Fatality rate with a chance of longterm side-effects and mutation of the HIV Virus?

Well... It is probably preferable for people who are guarenteed to die.

How did the Monkies die from the Retro-virus? Is the virus like an ordinary overpowerful virus or was something else going on?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it just didn't work on them.  I'm assuming the actual retrovirus only contains the DNA that creates the enzyme.  It would be counterproductive to infect the subject with a virus that tries to kill you.

/didnotreadlink

[ChairmanPoo]

HIV is a retrovirus. It's the target, not the vector). They used an adenovirus to deliver the gene.

There has been quite a bit on gene therapy treatments for AIDS lately. Last year I read this article about a guy who had been healed from AIDS by getting a bone marrow transplant from someone who was naturally immune (he had leukemia as well. They decided to kill two birds with one shot). This is likely doable through gene therapy proper, rather than a transplant, as well. And before that there WAS a gene therapy attempt to immunize T lymphocites against HIV

[Keiseth]

Madagascar can just rot for all I care. Waaay too eager to close off contact with the rest of the world.

This is interesting though. It had been quite some time since I had heard anything on the progress of curing such things.

[Maggarg - Eater of chicke]

If anyone complains about the rights of the goddamn monkeys, I swear I'll set them on fire.

[Wiles]

Last year I read this article about a guy who had been healed from AIDS by getting a bone marrow transplant from someone who was naturally immune

I've heard of bone marrow transplants curing other currently incurable diseases too, like Crohn's disease.

[zchris13]

If anyone complains about the rights of the goddamn monkeys, I swear I'll set them on fire.

Don't be hating.

I just feel kindof bad for the poor saps.  I hope they got proper medical care.  Other than being infected with a quite deadly virus, I mean.

[eerr]

I've read one or two articles on Aids, and this is my analysis:

I've read modified retro viruses can be used to insert DNA into cells.
That a critical aids virus protein was recently isolated by geneticists.
And I think this is how it goes down:

The reason this hasn't been done before is due to the nature of the aids virus.

Only 1 protein on the surface latches on to cells, and invades them.
The rest are superficial and subject to mutation, adapting to any immune response or treatment.

With that critial protein known, Geneticists created a retro-virus with immunizing dna. Somehow.

This retrovirus inserts DNA inside cells. The cells start building their own defense against aids. Aids is unable to invade many cells, perhaps allowing a proper immune response.