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Genetic HIV Resistance Deciphered

Posted by michael on from the mutations-deemed-useful dept.

hexed_2050 writes "Researchers have pin-pointed the reason why some people have a greater immunity, or in some cases, total immunity to the HIV virus. They credit a genetic defect that can be traced back to Europeans in the middle ages."

6 of 64 comments (clear)

  1. what a disappointment! by phreakuencies · · Score: 3, Informative

    I was thinking in posting this story because the team of researchers were formed by 3 argentinians (I live there) and "study co-author Dr. Sunil K. Ahuja". This isn't mentioned anywhere in the article. In fact, an announcement was made in a local Hospital ("Garrahan") here and presented by different media as a discovery made by this groups of argentinians collaborating with Ahuja. I would really like this post updated with this important info. Links to the local story (in spanish): Clarin newspaper The names of the three argentinian investigators: "Andrea Mangano, Luisa Sen y Rosa Bologna".

  2. I did say "nearly universal" by Lonesome+Squash · · Score: 4, Informative
    This is a recessive mutation (ignoring partial immunity for a minute). The truly-immune percentage of the population will be the square of the gene frequency. Let's say that AIDS begins to recede when 36% of the population is immune. For 36% of the population to be immune, 60% of the genes will need to be the mutated variety. At that point only 16% of the population will be carrying two non-mutated genes. Okay, maybe I exaggerated the "not many generations" but the point stands.

    This is the opposite of the recessive extinction problem, where the percentages work against you (that's why deleterious recessives thrive so well when they are rare).

    --
    Behold the riant ape! Beware, his crooked thumbs!
  3. It's just HIV, not HIV virus! by Ayanami_Rei_II · · Score: 3, Informative

    HIV = Human Immunodeficiency Virus
    PIN = Personal Identification Number

    There's no need to repeat the last word of the the acronym!

  4. Re:BBC documentary by davidyorke · · Score: 3, Informative

    I saw a show about this on PBS. It was something like two years ago.

    http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/case_plague/inde x. html

    Here's some other news. George Bush won the election ... against Al Gore.

  5. Re:Defect?...of course! by clonan · · Score: 2, Informative

    It is a defect because it makes the immune cell less effective!

    That protein allows immune cells to lock onto each other and help to destroy disease.

    Since these cells lack this mechanism, they don't lock onto other immune cells as well and aren't as good at killing things. This affects EVERYTHING the cell does.

    So while the person is protected against AIDS, they are more suceptible to every single other illness and injury out there.

    It's a trade off...and therefore a defect.

  6. Re:Defect? by Anonymous+Writer · · Score: 2, Informative

    I'm not sure I'd call such a mutation a "defect".

    It has been linked to a greater vulnerability to Hepatitis C, which there is still no vaccine for.