A proof-of-principle study has demonstrated that it is possible to engineer human blood stem cells into cells that can target and kill HIV-infected cells. The result is the equivalent of a genetic vaccine which is not only good news in the fight against HIV – the process could also be used against a range of chronic viral diseases.
In the study researchers from the UCLA AIDS Institute and colleagues took the “killer” T cells that help fight infection, known as CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes, from an HIV-infected individual. The researchers then identified the molecule known as the T-cell receptor – the molecule that guides the T cell in recognizing and killing HIV-infected cells. Although these cells are able to destroy HIV-infected cells, they do not exist in enough quantities to clear the virus from the body. So the researchers cloned the receptor and genetically engineered human blood stem cells, then placed the stem cells into human thymus tissue that had been implanted in mice, allowing them to study the reaction in a living organism.
Gizmag (thanks, ReliegiousMarie)
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Stem cell research obviously needs more backing and this may get the approval from those against it to find help with other life threatening diseases. Do the scientists give the mice little cuddles?
nice…
O M G – do I call in Mila Yovavitch now or do I cheer. *goes off to buy an underground bunker whilst cheering*
Is that ALL strains of HIV? Science is just incredible.
I wonder whether the people that are immune to hiv virus (Africa it was I think researchers ran into those) contain more of those CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocytes, or is there something different/stronger in the specific molecule, the t-cell receptors? Tons will wonder, I know .. but hey ..
What happened to the mice is not stated here, whether the new population cleared the body from the virus is not clear unfortunately. I’ll check plos one ..
woot! another win for science!
Na, ofcourse, as usual, Plos One clearly states something very different than in this short introduction (it’s not really more than that in Gizmag .. covers not really the real research at all .. and as usual .. tries to put it out as way more than it really is right now .. too bad .. the public will no longer need to value scientific output in the media most of the time anymore at all therefor .. ). It’s a little baby step (maybe not even that) in a possible directino (their hopes and wishes are quite clear from the plos one article as well ..). But hey .. you have to start somewhere. It’s more the way they put it out that is annoying. Scientific research can be followed quite well by the audience (the red lines) if they put a little more normal brain into those media reports (although it is not always researchers” mistake ..)
So they won’t have to shrink that submarine real small anymore to save a guy in retro sixties movie stylie, shame. Jim Cameron is gonna have to rethink his next project.
amazing what you can accomplish when the administration isnt fulla asskissing morons.
View the new documentary “House of Numbers” to see why questions about this must be raised and deeper issues about HIV and AIDS need to be discussed. Lives are at risk, and this is the first documentary with the worlds foremost authorities highlights the scientific problems with HIV testing, science, statistics, and why there is no cure. It sheds new light on a misunderstood phenomena. GO to http://houseofnumbers.com/ to see the trailer.
Truth about AIDS as told by Dr. Luc Montagnier. AIDS can be reversed. Nutrition is the answer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQoNW7lOnT4