AIDS might be cured

[Zapages]

Bangalore: Dr Indrani Sarkar has has every reason to be excited. Her PhD thesis, which started in 2002 at the Max Planck Institute in Dresden, Germany, has thrown open the doors for developing enzymes that can destroy the dreaded Human Immuno-deficiency Virus or HIV within infected cells permanently.

Indrani and a team of scientists have developed an enzyme called Tre. Tre is a custom enzyme capable of detecting, recognising and destroying HIV, much like a pair of molecular scissors.

"In laymans terms, it's an engineered enzyme which recognises sequences in the HIV genome that is duplicated, integrated virus and by the process of recombination, it cuts out the virus from the genome," says she.

The biggest challenge with treating HIV today is that the virus becomes dormant and often develops resistance to HIV drugs.

The only way then to cure HIV is to get rid of the virus completely and Tre, the enzyme that Indrani constructed after a year and its 126 "cycles of mutation" totally deplete HIV in the human genome in three months in laboratory conditions.

"It's a beautiful approach, but like any other drug, this one too will take a few years to reach clinics — anywhere between five and 20 years actually. A lot of research has to be done because since one is working with a novel enzyme, one has to engineer the enzyme," says she.

According to the latest statistics given out by UNAIDS and WHO, there are close to 39.5 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the world and though it will be a while before an imminent cure is likely, Dr Indrani Sarkar's findings certainly hold out hope for the millions who are battling the disease across the globe.



Source: http://ibnlive.com/news/indian-doc-develops-enzyme-that-can-destroy-hiv/48654-17.html

[Captain Zechs]

This is pretty cool, and I hope that this will work on people, this could help solve a lot of problems around the world, and maybe open up the doors to curing other diseases we have no cure to, like cancer.

[Zapages]

This is pretty cool, and I hope that this will work on people, this could help solve a lot of problems around the world, and maybe open up the doors to curing other diseases we have no cure to, like cancer.

Cancer is really hard to cure as it is just a mutation...

[Captain Zechs]

Cancer is really hard to cure as it is just a mutation...

Oh...well, my point is that this will help out some disease we don't have a cure for eventually, whether it be directly or indirectly.

[Hanshotfirst113]

This would be wonderful beyond words.

[Rolling Cloud]

Yes, this is a step in the RIGHT direction! ^_^

[Captain Highwind]

Cancer is really hard to cure as it is just a mutation...

But aren't viruses believed to have evolved from a mutation of genes?

[Dark Fact]

I actually hope that this is a potential cure and we can see it put out within the next decade or two. We've already put up with this virus for 20 years.

[Master Moron]

Finally, we can have unprotected sex with dozens of unprotected partners and not have to worry about dying of AIDS. Of course, we still have to worry about chlamidia, ghonorea, genital warts, herpes, syphilis, crabs, and a bunch of other diseases...

[Magmafire2374]

The cure isn't going to be cheap. Only the rich will afford it when it becomes commercially available. Many will still die of AIDS because they won't be able to purchase the cure. Sad truth. The more money you have the healthier you are-- direct correlation.

[Lazerboy5000]

Yes, this is a step in the RIGHT direction! ^_^
Yea, the next step is Canser.

[Anyone00]

Well this is exceptional because currently most viruses of any type (from AIDS to the common cold) are currently incurable.

Finally, we can have unprotected sex with dozens of unprotected partners and not have to worry about dying of AIDS. Of course, we still have to worry about chlamidia, ghonorea, genital warts, herpes, syphilis, crabs, and a bunch of other diseases...

Even if the very scientist and groups who create and distribute this treatment warn against the other diseases people will ignore them or have in the back of their mind 'I don't have to worry about it, science will cure it soon enough'; they'll use it as a license for promiscuity with no mind that viruses (and bacteria for that matter) change and mutate rather rapidly.

A cure is a good thing but overtime it might have a more devastating effect than our simultaneous over and half-arsed use of anti-biotic.

[Zapages]

But aren't viruses believed to have evolved from a mutation of genes?

Mutation can occur on its own, with no need of viruses... That's why we are all different, because of some mutation that is not lethal, ie the finches in the Gallopogoes island.

[Don_East]

Why don't we hear on the news instead of O.J. and Brittney?

[JohnCrichton]

I got friends in medical fields and it kinda sucks. A cure may very well be found, but it'll take about 5-6 years of tests, elbow rubbing, and political stuffnjunking to eventually get it out to the people that need it.

Here's for hoping they speed this a long to save people in time.

[Tapout]

Finally, we can have unprotected sex with dozens of unprotected partners and not have to worry about dying of AIDS. Of course, we still have to worry about chlamidia, ghonorea, genital warts, herpes, syphilis, crabs, and a bunch of other diseases...
You say that like people give a damn now.

[Ishtar]

If it's true AIDS might possibly have a cure now, then that's wonderful. So many people could be saved from it.

[Karl Olson]

If it can move from in-vitro to real people without serious side-effects, it'll be one of the greatest scientific advances of this century, especially when it's applied to other viruses (some of which do lead to cancer) and perhaps even parts of the human genome itself if possible (IE: deleting inheritable disorders.) It is perhaps even the greatest advance in medicine since antibiotics.

[Yash]

Best news I've heard all day.

[Jave]

This is great to know. The only downside is that this may not help those who have AIDS now, given the huge amount of time it needs before it becomes accessible. Still, this is huge news indeed.

In a perfect world, they'll have massive vaccination sessions in order to make everyone immune and eradicate the disease, but that's probably dreaming roo much.

[I.R Joey]

Why don't we hear on the news instead of O.J. and Brittney?

Amen, my friend Amen.