Scientists Just Surgically Removed HIV DNA From Live Animals

[Techno-Druid]

https://futurism.com/scientists-just...-live-animals/

Recent estimates by the United Nations say as many as 36.7 million people worldwide are known to have HIV. Of these, roughly 1.2 million people are in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These alarming numbers actually grow every year, and adequate treatment — let alone a cure — still seems a long way off. One of the major reasons that’s so is because HIV as a disease is something of a tough nut to crack: the virus is capable of hiding itself in latent reservoirs, making it extremely difficult for a permanent cure to be developed.

There’s a glimmer of hope, though: scientists at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) and the University of Pittsburgh published a study in the journal Molecular Therapy showing it’s possible to surgically remove HIV DNA from a living animal genome. This is the first time that such a method was demonstrated to be possible, and it could increase the chances of eliminating HIV infection.

The secret is in CRISPR/Cas9, the world’s most efficient and effective gene editing tool, which made it possible to delete targeted HIV-1 fragments from the infected animal tissue genome. “CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9)-mediated genome editing provides a promising cure for HIV-1/AIDS,” the study’s abstract notes. This research built on a proof-of-concept study that the same team of researchers conducted last year.

“Our new study is more comprehensive,” LKSOM’s Wenhui Hu explained. “We confirmed the data from our previous work and have improved the efficiency of our gene editing strategy. We also show that the strategy is effective in two additional mouse models, one representing acute infection in mouse cells and the other representing chronic, or latent, infection in human cells.”

I think it's inevitable that gene editing will allow us to eliminate most viruses some point in the future.

[kasuke06]

I only question the title. as at least with medicine, surgically tends to mean guy/gal with scalpel, not precise genetic engineering. also, their gene editor is named crisper, heh.

[Puupi]

Surgically removing DNA from live animals... right....

[Freighter]

Not sure if surgically removing is the correct way to describe it.

[Puupi]

Not sure if surgically removing is the correct way to describe it.

It most definitely isn't.

[bloodkin]

It most definitely isn't.

then how would you discribe it?

[Aeluron Lightsong]

This is good....and umm.....well foreboding for the future.

[Puupi]

then how would you discribe it?

......chemically?

[bloodkin]

......chemically?

Not really. they are using another virus as vector to alter existing genes.

here's a diffrent source (with the original research papers as source)

https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0501112514.htm

and ehre's the original article

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...25001617301107

[Puupi]

Well at least there isn't physical cutting happening.

[Independent voter]

Was listening to a science podcast and they said that all these medical studies using mice are highly questionable at best. Turns out that mice aren't very much like humans at all and mouse studies won't correlate to actual human results often times.

[Ripster42]

then how would you discribe it?

Viral genome editing, because that's what it is. It's not remotely close to surgery, and "chemically," as a poster said, is way closer to the actuality than surgery, because it's a chemical process, not a process that involves physical cuts.

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Was listening to a science podcast and they said that all these medical studies using mice are highly questionable at best. Turns out that mice aren't very much like humans at all and mouse studies won't correlate to actual human results often times.

Learn what you're talking about before commenting on stuff like this.

[Reeve]

Basically they use RNA to seek out a particular genetic sequence, then use an enzyme to snip out that DNA and replace it with whatever particular DNA they prefer.

[Darsithis]

So super excited. I was diagnosed 7 years ago. I would love to see it just...ripped out. Goodbye. Gone. Say goodbye to the harsh medications!

[Aeluron Lightsong]

So super excited. I was diagnosed 7 years ago. I would love to see it just...ripped out. Goodbye. Gone. Say goodbye to the harsh medications!

That and the financial burden it is. Much as I have concerns for the future of this medical technique, HIV being gone is still a good thing.

[ComputerNerd]

So super excited. I was diagnosed 7 years ago. I would love to see it just...ripped out. Goodbye. Gone. Say goodbye to the harsh medications!

Very sorry to hear that, though I expect you are sick of hearing people say that.
Saying that doesn't help you.

[kail]

Keep kicking ass researchers!

[Techno-Druid]

So super excited. I was diagnosed 7 years ago. I would love to see it just...ripped out. Goodbye. Gone. Say goodbye to the harsh medications!

Sorry to hear about that man. Hopefully research like this will lead to a permanent cure for HIV/AIDS.

[PosPosPos]

So super excited. I was diagnosed 7 years ago. I would love to see it just...ripped out. Goodbye. Gone. Say goodbye to the harsh medications!

The biggest problem now is the fact that this treatment(assuming it works on humans) is most probably going to cost millions in your lifetime.

[callipygoustp]

Someone linked this in a thread about babies or something a few days or a week ago:

Pretty amazing technology.