Can HIV Ever Be Completely Cured?

[Ivan Seeking]

Even the best drugs currently available cannot weed out HIV from all of its hiding places within the body, according to a new study of HIV patients in the United States. The discovery seems to confirm doctors' suspicions that once the virus gains a foothold, it can never be fully eradicated from the body. [continued]

http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080214/full/news.2008.595.html

 

[mgb_phys]

Whats the quote ?
"When respected scientists say something is possible they are usually right - when they say something is impossible they are usually wrong"

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Hah, I agree. In fact as I made the post I was thinking much the same thing.

 

[Moonbear]

Yeah, I'd agree, never say never. Just because current drugs can't do it doesn't mean it's impossible.

 

[gravenewworld]

http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080214/full/news.2008.595.html

http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2005/01/66198

Throughout the history of the AIDS epidemic, a few lucky people have avoided infection despite being exposed again and again. Now, researchers are traveling back in evolutionary time to understand why some people are resistant -- and in some cases virtually immune -- to the AIDS virus.

We actually did an experiment in Bio chem to see if anyone in the class had the CCR5 receptor mutation. Sure enough we found someone that did.

 

[makethings]

What was the experiment that allowed you to test for the mutation? I would sure like to check myself.

 

[platinum27]

I say in no more than 3-4 generations we will have evolved to be immune to aids and cancer, its just a matter of time.

 

[mgb_phys]

I say in no more than 3-4 generations we will have evolved to be immune to aids and cancer, its just a matter of time.

That's not how evolution works.
To evolve immunity you have to have people with the mutation having more children than those without. So you need a lot more people getting HIV and dying before they reproduce to have a positive pressure on those genes. People with HIV dying after they reproduce does nothing.

That's one of the reasons for the large number of diseases you get as you age - evolution doesn't give a damn about some disease you get 20years after you have kids.

 

[gravenewworld]

What was the experiment that allowed you to test for the mutation? I would sure like to check myself.

Honestly I can't really remember. I think we ordered the CCR5 wild type protein and the CCR5 delta 32 and then took swab samples from everyone's inner cheek and compared them on gel electrophresis. I don't remember too much details of the experiment, I haven't done any biochemistry in almost 5 years.

 

[_Mayday_]

The way to prevent HIV is education. If there isn't a cure around the corner then education is the only way!

This is slightly unrelated, but give it a read if you haven't seen it before.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4879822.stm"

 

[_Mayday_]

If people are not working together with the same goal then I doubt we will ever get rid of it, imagine what effect the article above had on people living there! A man who was Ex-Deputy president with have a lot of following, how many people now do you think believe a shower will act as a prevention for HIV?

 

[rowkem]

Kinda ties into my research topic on health research. So they said its impossible. Does that mean they should stop trying? Of course not...

Coming from personal experience, I sincerely hope they never stop researching this.

 

[8th Dumbest]

That's not how evolution works.
To evolve immunity you have to have people with the mutation having more children than those without. So you need a lot more people getting HIV and dying before they reproduce to have a positive pressure on those genes. People with HIV dying after they reproduce does nothing.

That's one of the reasons for the large number of diseases you get as you age - evolution doesn't give a damn about some disease you get 20years after you have kids.

Yes, and both mother and father must carry the gene to pass it along. IIRC, it is VERY rare, and is also what helped many humans avoid death by the black plague.

 

[greghouse]

Obviously there's a cure for every disease... We know now how to reform genes with retroviruses - great potential for genetic diseases. Every infectiuos agent has its weakness. For bacteria it was penicillin (except for the mycoplasmas) until resistancy came, but there are ways to work around that aswell, it has to be. Viruses are more tricky, but since their made of a proteinacious coat, with many binding possibilities for anti-bodies or such, they arent impossible either. Never say never doesn't quite say it :D