HIV is beaten

[Goatse]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/...71020103343.htm (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071020103343.htm)

To be honest I don't understand half of it, but I thought you guys would be interested.

[Dr Mindbender]

Originally posted by [email protected] 24, 2007 09:13 pm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/...71020103343.htm (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/10/071020103343.htm)

To be honest I don't understand half of it, but I thought you guys would be interested.
it doesnt sound like a cure, because it doesnt kill the virus. It only 'stops it spreading' which means you'll still be able to pass it onto others. Good news nonetheless, but i didnt think this is a massive jump from existing treatments.

[Comrade Rage]

I had a little trouble understanding it myself, but the gist of it is that they can now keep it from mutating into full-blown AIDS, which is definitely a good thing. It's too bad that this doesn't help people who've already got AIDS.

[AAFCE]

Not quite beaten, but still interesting nonetheless.

[piet11111]

ok so this prevents the hiv from destroying the immune system.
but what stops the immune system from destroying the hiv virus ?

[Comrade Rage]

Originally posted by [email protected] 24, 2007 08:11 pm
ok so this prevents the hiv from destroying the immune system.
but what stops the immune system from destroying the hiv virus ?
If the immune system is uncompromised, won't it destroy HIV itself?

[Dr Mindbender]

Originally posted by [email protected] 25, 2007 01:11 am
ok so this prevents the hiv from destroying the immune system.
but what stops the immune system from destroying the hiv virus ?
the HIV/AIDS virus is unique in that it has some sort of protein coating which defends it against your immune system. I dont understand the chemistry involved myself but in layman's terms it somehow acts as a decoy so it can get on with destroying your cells white your white blood cells are occupied.

[Mujer Libre]

Originally posted by Ulster Socialist+October 25, 2007 01:43 am--> (Ulster Socialist @ October 25, 2007 01:43 am)
[email protected] 25, 2007 01:11 am
ok so this prevents the hiv from destroying the immune system.
but what stops the immune system from destroying the hiv virus ?
the HIV/AIDS virus is unique in that it has some sort of protein coating which defends it against your immune system. I dont understand the chemistry involved myself but in layman's terms it somehow acts as a decoy so it can get on with destroying your cells white your white blood cells are occupied. [/b]
All viruses have a protein coat. The thing is that most viruses have molecules on that coat (antigens) that can be detected by the immune system as "foreign" and destroyed.

In most viruses these antigens remain relatively stable over generations. However, HIV has a veery high mutation rate, meaning that our bodies have no time to work out what to do.

Also, HIV lives inside our immune cells (CD4+ lymphocytes), which gives them a special ,hidden status.

It would be really interesting to see the long term followup of this study- to see if the treatment allows for a complete immune response- i.e. a cure.

[Red October]

Originally posted by Mujer [email protected] 24, 2007 10:36 pm
It would be really interesting to see the long term followup of this study- to see if the treatment allows for a complete immune response- i.e. a cure.
This also depends on whether these meds are made available to the poor. A cure for AIDS is almost useless unless it can actually get to those who need it, and drug companies do not have a good reputation of giving up profit for the good of mankind.

[MarxSchmarx]

Humbug.

Clinical studies for stopping evolving infectious diseases are inherently biased, because all this proves is that a disease is subject to strong selection under the new and improved regime. It only takes one exception to stop this treatment from working. Statistics considers such exceptions par for the course. In Darwinian medicine, these exceptions are the rule.

The argument is that HIV can be prevented from "hijacking" CD4+T-lymphocytes. The problem is HIV requires CD4+T-lympthocytes to reproduce. Each human contains millions of such CD4+T-lympthocytes. It only takes one HIV strain to "figure out", i.e. have the right mutation in a relatively small genome, what it takes to bypass the serial curve balls thrown at it.


This also depends on whether these meds are made available to the poor.

Maybe yes, maybe no. If the treatment regime were available to all, it could either (1) eradicate HIV in one full swoop, or (2) lead more rapidly to newer, improved variants of the virus. Sadly, the really only long-term solution is public education about the dangers of unprotected sex, to fight against HIV's infection rate. Too much energy has been already been wasted in fighting HIV's virulence. This is b/c capitalists want to limit HIV's symptoms, I mean, what better way to keep a profit than a sick patient who doesn't die? They don't have the public in "public health" in mind.

I'll say it once, I'll say it again: Capitalism is hazardous for your health.


If the immune system is uncompromised, won't it destroy HIV itself?

All else being equal, yes. Unfortunately all is is not equal. HIV acts like a 5th column in the immune system, it doesn't realize it's fucked until it's too late.

The degree of local specialization in HIV to human populations indicates that our stupid immune system does a poor job against this enemy. Again, the answer is to adopt a public health perspective and diminish the transition rate of HIV, rather than fight it at the molecular level. This, I believe.