AIDS virus may hold key to cancer cure

[Fed Up]

AIDS virus may hold key to cancer cure

The human immunodeficency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS, could hold the key to curing cancer.

A research team from the University of California has reprogrammed the virus to kill cancer cells by delivering antibodies.

Elizabeth Withers-Ward, from the Los Angeles AIDS Institute at the university, says HIV has proven the best carrier of antibodies in cancer gene therapy trials conducted on mice.

"It's the perfect candidate in that it allows infection of and integration of human cells because it has the right machinery," she said.

"It has the ability the virus envelope or the outside of the virus, decorated with a protein.

"Depending on what that protein is, it uses a certain cell on the outside of its host protein to bind and then get in.

"So in this case we've changed the envelope to bind to antibodies and then the antibody, once bound, will hone to the type of cell that it binds to."


rest of article
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200502/s1303295.htm


What will dipshit Fred Phelps say about this?

[GetTheRightVote]

1. This discovery is just amazing, simply amazing, I hope it all works out

So many lives could be saved if successful.

:kick:

[CornField]

2. That is truly amazing!

I'm not sure that I understand why this part was put in the article:

"Last year alone a record 3.1 million people died of AIDS, mostly in developing nations where anti-retroviral drugs are neither fully nor cheaply available.

"Any cure is a long way off.

"Ms Withers-Ward says the breakthrough will improve the image of HIV."

I do get that many religious folks have stated both publically and privately that AIDS is some sort of punishment from God... but I don't think many people honestly feel that is true. The disease has killed so many... all different ages, genders and ethnic backgrounds.

While I would cheer if *anything* was found to cure cancer, I don't see how this benefit will in any way improve the image of HIV/AIDS. It's still a killer and must be stopped.

[Fed Up]

3. whoops, somebody already posted this in the science forum

I didn't notice it, but anyway, I think this is worthy of LBN.

Yes it is truly amazing, although I am disappointed that so many possible breakthroughs of the past have fizzled out.

Maybe this is the one that will finally work.

[UL_Approved]

4. This is like finding a constructive use for an atomic bomb

Now THIS is science at work. I sure hope that this gets researched.

My only fear is that this will get swept under the rug, people killed to keep it from happening, or that this will be a back door for biological weapons.

There are some very demented people in the world. And after all, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. did cross Smallpox with Ebola for a weapon. Is anything really outside the realm of possibility?