Cure for HIV...Stem Cells?
After recieving a bone marrow transplant, a 42 year old man from Germany who had leukemia and was also infected with the AIDS virus, seems to be cured of both leukemia and the HIV virus. The bone marrow donor, was apparently naturally resistant to the HIV virus. This resistance is the result of a mutation (deletion of a segment) in the CCR5 receptor encoding gene. These receptors are found in CD4+ T cells and are used by the HIV virus to enter the cells. It is reported that 1% of the European population carries this mutation.
Twenty months after the patient stopped taking the AIDS drugs he was on, doctors could not find evidence of HIV in the blood of the patient. Although this has been the first reported incident, doctors say that further testing using bone marrow transplant to treat AIDS will not be done. Bone marrow transplants involve killing off all of a patient's blood forming stem cells before replacing them with the donor's. This process is extremely painful and there is a high risk of death until the new stem cells restore the patient's immune system. Although no further testing on bone marrow transplants on patients without leukemia will be done, the same process will be repeated for other leukemia patients who also have AIDS.
Drugs intended to block the CCR5 receptors have been made, although they do not prevent the virus from completely binding to the CCR5 receptors. It may do this by outcompeting the inhibitor, or finding another section of the receptor to bind to.
-Julio Rodriguez (group c)
Update:
They are currently doing research on this topic, trying to find how to genetically modify these sepcific cell types with this mutation. The problem is that the HIV virus has evolved in such a way that not all strands enter cells through this process. Although they are currently working on this, I have not heard of any results or if they are even testing on human subjects yet.
Labels: re
posted by PWH @ 12:58 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
this is interesting because i just heard about something like this in class today. A researcher took 10,000 DNA samples to see if there were people who were unable to get HIV. They think from the black death evolved some form of immunity to HIV in some Caucasians.
Samantha DeBiasio
Wow. that's really cool. It's too bad that they aren't looking into this phenomena more because so much could be done. A bone marrow transplant is quite invasive i understand but perhaps other ways of getting those mutant genes into people who carry HIV/AIDS would be the cure of a lifetime. Also, I learned about the black plague as well and how scientists believe the survivors are linked to people who have this mutant gene. Very cool stuff :]
Emily Ayotte
I cant believe there are actually people out there that are resistant to HIV. This is seems like a huge step towards finding a cure for HIV. It will be interesting to see if one day they will be able to replicate these resistant cells in a lab. Its a shame this process is so painful because it seems like it could help many people.
-Calin Darabus
This is a leap for HIV research. Are they using this information towards more research? I know that the bone marrow transplants are too invasive, but I feel as though there's some way they could use this strange finding to further their testing.
Crystal Cabral
A good example of evolution and how the human race deals with pathogens. With aids as rampant as it is in some cultures, do you think it is now comparable to something like the black plague?
-Nick Cline
Another serendipity moment, eh? It's interesting how new and often world changing ideas come from unexpected places. We all know the penicillin story - LSD was discovered when a man tried to find medicinal derivatives of a wheat fungus - Aspartame came from a failed attempt at ulcer medication. Maybe something good came come from the CCR5 marrow circumstance.
[Nathan Beck]
Wow, this was really interesting. It's exciting that this man was "cured" of HIV but at the same time it is sad that they are to going to further their studies on bone marrow transplants to cure HIV.
-Katie Cyr
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