Possible breakthrough on HIV
Jan 11, 2005
THE DISCOVERY of a genetic difference between rhesus monkeys and humans may help find a way to stop HIV infection developing into Aids, researchers said on Monday.
THE DISCOVERY of a genetic difference between rhesus monkeys and humans may help find a way to stop HIV infection developing into Aids, researchers said on Monday.
British scientists funded by the Medical Research Council say they have identified a gene that prevents the rhesus monkey from getting infected by HIV. Rhesus monkeys can be infected by a monkey form of HIV, SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus), but not by HIV.
New World monkeys, on the other hand, have a form of the gene that blocks infection from SIV but not HIV.
The human form of the gene has what appears to be the crucial difference of just one amino acid from that of the rhesus monkey. Jonathan Stoye of the UK’s Medical Research Council (MRC) and colleagues, who published their work yesterday in the journal Current Biology, said they found a single change to the gene would make it recognise HIV.
Stoye said the question was: can we try to make use of this single difference to try to treat humans? He and his colleagues will spend the next years conducting experiments in the hope of devising a gene therapy that would limit the impact of HIV.
They hope to make a modified human gene that can be introduced to cells in the body of one who is HIV positive. The modified gene will be targeted at cells that have not yet been invaded by the virus in order to make them block its entry. The virus would remain at low levels in infected cells, but it would not be able to spread throughout the body and thus bring about Aids. “It is a hope,†said Dr Stoye. “It’s a long way in the future. If there is to be a successful gene therapy for Aids, this would be the kind of approach one would want to take. It would be designed to stop the progression of Aids.â€
He is careful not to excite too much expectation. “All I can say is there have been so many false dawns in this process. The virus is smart. I’m not going to say that it’s going to work, but it might elp . Even if it reduces the burden it might help.
Guardian
Around 40 million people in the world are living with HIV. Expensive drug treatment can keep them alive, although it is slow to reach those in the worst hit parts of the world, especially sub-Saharan Africa.
The drugs have to be taken every day for life to keep the levels of virus in the body low and prevent Aids developing. HIV is adept at mutating to develop resistance to medication, so there is a continual need for new drugs to be invented. If gene therapy can work in the way Dr Stoye hopes, long-term medication would not be necessary.
He is careful not to excite too much expectation. “All I can say is that there have been so many false dawns in this process. The virus is incredibly smart, and probably smarter than we are. I’m not going to say that it’s going to work, but it might, or at least might help. Even if it reduces the burden it might help. Supposing it was the equivalent of one new drug, it would help.â€
Guardian
British scientists funded by the Medical Research Council say they have identified a gene that prevents the rhesus monkey from getting infected by HIV. Rhesus monkeys can be infected by a monkey form of HIV, SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus), but not by HIV.
New World monkeys, on the other hand, have a form of the gene that blocks infection from SIV but not HIV.
The human form of the gene has what appears to be the crucial difference of just one amino acid from that of the rhesus monkey. Jonathan Stoye of the UK’s Medical Research Council (MRC) and colleagues, who published their work yesterday in the journal Current Biology, said they found a single change to the gene would make it recognise HIV.
Stoye said the question was: can we try to make use of this single difference to try to treat humans? He and his colleagues will spend the next years conducting experiments in the hope of devising a gene therapy that would limit the impact of HIV.
They hope to make a modified human gene that can be introduced to cells in the body of one who is HIV positive. The modified gene will be targeted at cells that have not yet been invaded by the virus in order to make them block its entry. The virus would remain at low levels in infected cells, but it would not be able to spread throughout the body and thus bring about Aids. “It is a hope,†said Dr Stoye. “It’s a long way in the future. If there is to be a successful gene therapy for Aids, this would be the kind of approach one would want to take. It would be designed to stop the progression of Aids.â€
He is careful not to excite too much expectation. “All I can say is there have been so many false dawns in this process. The virus is smart. I’m not going to say that it’s going to work, but it might elp . Even if it reduces the burden it might help.
Guardian
Around 40 million people in the world are living with HIV. Expensive drug treatment can keep them alive, although it is slow to reach those in the worst hit parts of the world, especially sub-Saharan Africa.
The drugs have to be taken every day for life to keep the levels of virus in the body low and prevent Aids developing. HIV is adept at mutating to develop resistance to medication, so there is a continual need for new drugs to be invented. If gene therapy can work in the way Dr Stoye hopes, long-term medication would not be necessary.
He is careful not to excite too much expectation. “All I can say is that there have been so many false dawns in this process. The virus is incredibly smart, and probably smarter than we are. I’m not going to say that it’s going to work, but it might, or at least might help. Even if it reduces the burden it might help. Supposing it was the equivalent of one new drug, it would help.â€
Guardian