HIV: The Controversy of Its Evolution

[Pengwuino]

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200507070204.html

So what's the deal with tihs? I know nothing about biology :D

 

[Moonbear]

Well, from this bit:

The researchers conducted clinical tests on 40 AIDS patients in the United States.

AK602 not only proved effective against viruses that had become resistant to other drugs, but it also caused almost no side effects, the team said.(IHT/Asahi: July 7,2005)

I'd say almost no side effects in 40 patients means it might be too soon to say how safe it really is. It'll have to go to a more extensive clinical trial to be approved, and that's when we'll find out if it really is as good as the claims.

 

[detta]

CCR5 is a chemokine receptor that is expressed primarily on cells of the immune system (B-cells, T-cells, macrophages). Basically, it is important for the immune response because it helps activate the cells when there is an infection. So what I think this is about is that they found something that blocks the receptor so that HIV doesn't recognize the cell since certain strains of HIV need to recognize this receptor to infect the cell. I'm not sure how novel this idea is since I think other drugs have been made with similar functions but I don't know the specifics. Also, apparently there are other receptors that HIV can recognize although I believe this is the dominant one.

Think of it like you are trying to recognize a friend in a crowd. Normally it is easy but say we make it so all the faces are blank. Then you wouldn't be able to find your friend unless there was some other factor like a tattoo (this would be alternative receptors). Blocking the receptor is like putting HIV in a crowd of cells with no faces. It doesn't know who is who.

 

[Moonbear]

CCR5 is a chemokine receptor that is expressed primarily on cells of the immune system (B-cells, T-cells, macrophages). Basically, it is important for the immune response because it helps activate the cells when there is an infection. So what I think this is about is that they found something that blocks the receptor so that HIV doesn't recognize the cell since certain strains of HIV need to recognize this receptor to infect the cell. I'm not sure how novel this idea is since I think other drugs have been made with similar functions but I don't know the specifics. Also, apparently there are other receptors that HIV can recognize although I believe this is the dominant one.

Thanks detta. So, does this mean the person taking this drug is still going to be vulnerable to other infections, since the drug is interferring with the normal immune response? So, it might stop the HIV from infecting cells, but then leaves them still vulnerable to all the other infections people with suppressed immune systems are vulnerable to? Or does this have a different effect?