With genetic engineering, scientists use decoy molecule to trick HIV

[closeupready]

Source: LA Times

An effective vaccine for HIV has eluded researchers for several decades, due to the pathogen's infamous shape-shifting abilities.

Even though researchers have identified certain broadly neutralizing antibodies that can conquer multiple strains of the human immunodeficiency virus, many strains of rapidly mutating HIV remain resistant to the these super antibodies.

In recent years however, researches have proposed a new method of battling the virus that involves gene therapy.

Instead of using a vaccine to stimulate the body's own immune system, so that it produces HIV antibodies, scientists are bypassing the immune system entirely.

Read more: http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-82844447/

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Encouraging news!

[Liberal Veteran]

1. I hope it can lead to both a prophylactic vaccine and therapeutic vaccine.

There have been a lot of promising leads in this fight, but so many end up at dead ends.

For example, a recent vaccine they tested on animals produced memory CD4 cells but didn't produce CD8 responses which caused the mice to die due to massive inflammatory response over time.

Fingers crossed that this is the one.

The holy grail is a vaccine that can treat infection and prevent infection, but just a vaccine to prevent infection would be a thing of wonder worthy of a Nobel prize.

[eggplant]

5. The trouble with prophylactic vaccines is that nobody wants to wear them.

bah-dum-pum.

[Omaha Steve]

2. 50,000 new cases a year in the US

Copyright exempt.

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/statistics/basics/ataglance.html

Fast Facts
More than 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV infection, and almost 1 in 7 (14%) are unaware of their infection.

Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSMa), particularly young black/African American MSM, are most seriously affected by HIV.

By race, blacks/African Americans face the most severe burden of HIV.


CDC estimates that 1,201,100 persons aged 13 years and older are living with HIV infection, including 168,300 (14%) who are unaware of their infection1. Over the past decade, the number of people living with HIV has increased, while the annual number of new HIV infections has remained relatively stable. Still, the pace of new infections continues at far too high a level— particularly among certain groups.

HIV Incidence (new infections): The estimated incidence of HIV has remained stable overall in recent years, at about 50,000 new HIV infections per year2. Within the overall estimates, however, some groups are affected more than others. MSM continue to bear the greatest burden of HIV infection, and among races/ethnicities, African Americans continue to be disproportionately affected.

HIV Diagnoses (new diagnoses, regardless of when infection occurred or stage of disease at diagnosis): In 2012, an estimated 47,989 people were diagnosed with HIV infection in the United States. In that same year, an estimated 27,928 people were diagnosed with AIDS. Overall, an estimated 1,170,989 people in the United States have been diagnosed with AIDS3.

Deaths: An estimated 13,834 people with an AIDS diagnosis died in 2011, and approximately 648,459 people in the United States with an AIDS diagnosis have overall3. The deaths of persons with an AIDS diagnosis can be due to any cause—that is, the death may or may not be related to AIDS.

[NuclearDem]

3. News like this gives me a massive science boner.

[DeSwiss]

4. ....

[Liberal Veteran]

7. Truvada is hard on the kidneys and expensive for PrEP.

Beats the alternative. I've been on it as part of my "cocktail" for a decade, but it sure beats some of the earlier drugs.

The trick with Truvada is getting your insurance to cover the cost. At $1300 for a month supply, it is going to be hard to convince folks to dish out that kind of cash for pre-exposure prophylaxis.

[gcomeau]

6. Now to sit back and wait for someone to freak out...

...because the phrase "genetic engineering" was in the article...

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

9. Some caution is a good thing.

I'm always outspoken in my defense of science and progress, but in this case we're not about talking GMO crops that give you playinggod cancer. This is tweaking a person's cells to produce a specific designer protein. That sounds like the kind of thing that actually has the potential to go seriously wrong. That's not a foregone conclusion by any means, and the initial test results look promising, but we want to make damn sure this scheme is completely safe before using it on humans.

[pinto]

8. A whole new approach. Small sample in simian trial but if found safe and effective, a game changer.