Scientists find gene that could help body cure itself of HIV
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... z1CzEPeIHu
Scientists find gene that could help body cure itself of HIV
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... z1CzEPeIHu
Hey, I read about this too!
They've found a way to give the immune system a massive boost with a certain hormone.
The great thing is if it works, it's not just a solution for HIV. It's a solution for few other fatal and uncurable viruses too, like Hep B and C.
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http://www.smh.com.au/national/hope-for ... 1agfn.html
Hope for HIV treatment as scientists boost immune system
February 4, 2011 - 3:48PM
Australian scientists have found a way to boost the power of the immune system, a technique seen to be capable of clearing an "HIV-like" infection from a mouse.
In a development that could point to a cure for HIV and other chronic viral infections in humans, the research at Melbourne's Walter and Eliza Hall Institute is centred on a naturally occurring cell signalling hormone called interleukin-7 (IL-7).
Research leader Dr Marc Pellegrini said when a synthetic version of this hormone was given to mice it "boosted the immune response in a pretty profound fashion" - so much so it cleared a virus considered a close match to HIV.
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"We've shown that persistent use over three weeks can actually clear infection and we would presume that this would be translatable to humans," Dr Pellegrini told AAP.
"This is the first time that we've used [IL-7] therapeutically to cure an infection and it looks like it is translatable to HIV."
Despite the promising indications, Dr Pellegrini warned it could still take 10 to 15 years before IL-7 could be approved for broadscale use to combat HIV.
IL-7 plays a key role in immune system development and maintenance, and the mice's extra dose was seen to reinvigorate their immune system's killer T cells, which seek out and kill off invaders.
Critically, it did not prompt a massive over-reaction that could have prompted the immune system to attack healthy parts of the body in a damaging auto-immune response.
It is hoped this boosting effect would be sufficient - when used alongside conventional anti-retroviral drugs which can now kill off the HIV virus - to help a human immune system clear the body's "latent reservoirs" of HIV.
These are pockets of usually inactive HIV virus which are known to exist in an HIV positive person's gut and brain.
"We know that we will never be able to effect cures with our current anti-retrovirals because it just kills the virus in the system but there are always going to be latent reservoirs that will come back into action as soon as you stop that therapy," Dr Pellegrini said.
"Whereas IL-7 will reinvigorate the immune system and each of the T cells will be able to fight the virus much better ... and, in theory, clear these latent viral reservoirs."
Trials in humans have not progressed beyond the point of determining that it is not initially toxic.
HIV aside, the technique could also prove effective against hepatitis B and C, or bacterial infections such as tuberculosis, which also pose significant global health burdens.
Dr Pellegrini worked with colleagues Simon Preston and Jesse Toe, and collaborators professors Pamela Ohashi and Tak Mak from the Ontario Cancer Institute.
Their findings were published today in the journal Cell.
This research was supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, the Canadian Institute for Health and the Cancer Research Institute.
AAP
http://www.smh.com.au/national/hope-for ... 1agfn.html
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Is a gene and a hormone the same thing? combat says gene and beachlover says gene but the article says hormone. Which is it?
From what I understood... some viral infections overwhelm the immune system so it gives up.
There's a certain gene which "slams the breaks" on the immune system when this happens, maybe so it doesn't become exhausted. The hormone they've discovered "switches" off this gene so the immune system can fire up and overwhelm the viral infection quickly, rather than fighting a long an exhausting battle it can't win, like a sprint instead of a long-distance run... it's kind of like a spurt of adrenalin you need to win a quick fight in the moment.
Sounds promising but they're saying it's still 10-15 years away.
Maybe Im missing something here but I did a word search of the newspaper article and it doesnt use the word gene AT ALL. It only says hormone. So where did combat and beachlover find out about this gene or are a gene and a hormone the same thing?????
I think you're missing a brain brisbaneguy... either that or you're trying to have us on. Read both articles (DailyMail and SMH). "Gene" is clearly mentioned in one.
I read the one you quoted buddy. It didnt mention any gene at all. You really are a peace of work arent you.
Read the original post.
You trying to stir the shit and have made a complete idiot of yourself. Take the piss by all means but this post was about a couple of articles in newspapers nothing more and nothing less. If you can' be bothered to take the time to read it through properly then that's up to you. but get your facts right first.Originally Posted by BrisbaneGuy
Just for you as you seem to be incapable of reading it through here is a 'little tiny' bit from the OP newspaper article:
Daily Mail:
The breakthrough centres on a gene called SOCS-3.
When faced with an overwhelming infection such as HIV, the gene becomes highly active and slams the brakes on the immune response, allowing the virus to persist.
When the researchers boosted levels of a hormone called IL-7, the gene тАШswitched offтАЩ and mice were able to gradually remove HIV from their bodies, the journal Cell reports.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... z1D4TMVNEy
BrisbaneGuy
I think you will find that both articles are simplistic in the extreme. HIV and Hepatitis are not even the same viral class and have completely different modes of action. Neither article explains properly how IL7 works in clearing HIV from the body so it is impossible to say whether there is a genetic factor involved or not. If the SOCS-3 gene is involved as the first article suggests then it is unclear how this would also be effective with Hepatitis B and C as they have a completely different mode of infection to HIV and work on different receptors. TB on the other hand is a bacteria so completely different again. I am sure there is very interesting research going on using IL7 but you would have to read (and understand) the original scientific paper to know what it all means. As has been indicated, any viable human treatment is at least 10-15 years away. And at the end of the day it may amount to nothing as the effect may not work in humans as it does in mice.
To set straight Beachlover's claim that Hepatitis B and C are fatal and incurable, they are fatal in less than 5% of cases for Hepatitis B and around 25-40 % of cases of Hepatitis C (many years later from cirrhosis).
Isn't it interesting how the intellectually stunted always resort to verbal abuse when inconveniently questioned?
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