HIV 'could destroy cancer cells'

[theHandpuppet]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4257783.stm

HIV 'could destroy cancer cells'

US scientists hope to be able to use a harmless form of the Aids virus to seek and destroy cancer cells.

A University of California team found an "impotent" version of HIV, with the disease-causing parts of it removed, tracked down cancer cells in mice.

The next step would be to insert a gene into the virus that would kill the cancer upon contact.

The team told Nature Medicine more safety studies were needed before such a method could be tested in humans.

MORE....

[trotsky]

1. There is so much that could come out of this.

If you have a type of cell you want to get rid of (cancer), why not use nature's perfectly evolved machine - the virus - for targeting specific cells?

Gotta use extreme caution, though. A mutant strain could develop into a new horrific disease.

[Dying Eagle]

2. Sounds like good research

So how long will it take for the Feds to cut off funding for this. I mean a cure for cancer, think of how much money the heathcare industry would lose a year if that happened.

P.S I am on a heathcare rant this mourning
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3108407&mesg_id=3108407

[Davis_X_Machina]

3. The exquisite specificity...

...of the immune system, and its enemies, when turned to medical use will, I think, do a lot of what nano-tech is supposed to do, but sooner, and with a smaller grey-goo factor.

[Ready4Change]

4. Grey Goo factor?

Not familiar with the term. Could you explain please? Thanks in advance.

[RandomUser]

7. explanation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_goo

[Branjor]

5. I guess it doesn't work against Kapocsi's sarcoma n/t

[uppityperson]

6. On 1 hand, good research, on other hand better be careful

I am all for funding cancer research. And HIV research.

More studies are needed about how cells change to revert to their more fetal form, the rapidly out of control replicating cancer form, and how to be able to deal with them. I am in no way saying I approve of cancer, or meaning to be flip about it, but the process of cancer is very very interesting. This looks like a good bit of science and hope they get funding to continue.

Now for the other side-what do they think they're doing? If humans don't make the world unsurvivable for humans, I think viruses will win out. Messing around with viruses scares me as I don't think humans have the technology or the society to deal with what they're doing.

So, this will be interesting to watch. Thanks for posting this topic. Did you put it in the LBN place also (though the kneejerk reactions may be, um, kneejerky)?