Possible cure for AIDS?

Tenshi · Joined: 18 Apr 2008 Posts: 2594 Location: Star Stuff

Seriously! I'm not entirely sure what the implications of this are, as I'm not done reading it, but I wanted to share this with the rest of you. If this implies what I'm thinking it does...that would be an amazing success in the search for a cure for AIDS!

Linkie!
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YatesOfYore · Site Admin Joined: 27 Dec 2006 Posts: 855

Interesting. It's a shame, both personally and scientifically, that the "cured" person died only 45 days later from the cancer that was ailing him. Who knows what would have been the long term effects? I suppose we'll find out if they start testing this on others.
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Tenshi · Joined: 18 Apr 2008 Posts: 2594 Location: Star Stuff

Actually, earlier in the article it talks about a bone marrow transplant patient who has now lived for years without a recurrence of AIDS. The unfortunate thing, in my mind, is that the virus is probably still alive inside their body: it just simply can't affect them. They'll always be a carrier, but never suffer from it themselves. In a sense, that's the real tragedy... The boy in the bubble, in a way.
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"If by chance some day you're not feeling well, and you should remember some silly thing I've said or done, and it brings back a smile to your face or a chuckle to your heart, then my purpose as your clown has been fulfilled."
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electricpanda · Joined: 03 Sep 2008 Posts: 608 Location: Smelbourne

I believe things likes this have happened before, they just haven't made the news before. Not 100%, though.
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thespaceinvader · Joined: 23 Mar 2008 Posts: 650 Location: Cardiff, UK

There are rare individuals who are affected minimally or not at all by HIV. This doesn't sound promising as a generally applicable treatment to me, as a biotechnologist.
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Maeniel · Joined: 22 Mar 2008 Posts: 1052 Location: Next to Waldo

I don't think that the marrow transplant is at all a feasible option for most people...but the stuff on gene therapy sounds very interesting. Hopefully we can see results from those studies soon.
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Nem · Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 2115 Location: England

Even assuming you can stop the person from suffering the effects of it do they still remain a carrier? If a tiny fraction of the people you cure are unethical potentially curing them would be like unleashing hundreds of bioweapons. Not to mention, if it was cheap and didn't leave the person as a carrier, the effects curing people in the third world would have on their resource to person ratio.
Don't get me wrong a cure sounds like a wonderful thing for science but I've got to wonder what terms it will come on if it ever comes.
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thespaceinvader · Joined: 23 Mar 2008 Posts: 650 Location: Cardiff, UK

I believe that the virus would quickly degrade if it was not able to get into the lymphocytes and multiply. I doubt that the situation you raise would be a hige problem, but i wouldn't know for sure without doing the study.
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Allicat · Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 8:37 am Post subject:

We're quite the bunch of cynicists aren't we? Not willing to get our hopes up too far. This sounds promising to me but as I know nothing about gene therapy, biotechnology, or the economics of these things I won't start throwing parties just yet.
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Tamir · Joined: 22 Mar 2008 Posts: 1628 Location: Israel

Any progress is good. =) Even if it doesn't directly lead to a cure, it opens up ideas and possibilities.

daydreamer_girl · Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 276 Location: Kaneedaaaa!!!

Hey, I'm excited for any progress. These guys were searching for a cure for aids for how long now? I always like to hear positive news.
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Tyris · Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:23 pm Post subject:

Except when it's HIV-positive.

...

>.>

...

<.<

...

What have we done?
*hara-kiri*
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CBB · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:53 pm Post subject:

Booo!

It's an interesting solution, a bone marrow transplants. They're still incredibly risky, but it just so happens they work with stem cells, which are also being rigorously investigated. Maybe they should be working together?
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Psychosomatic! That boy needs therapy...
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