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Researchers Modify T-Cells, Make Them HIV Resistant
DieNadel writes to share that naturally occurring proteins called "zinc fingers" are being used in a new approach to AIDS treatment. Using modified T-Cells with the zinc fingers, researchers at the Pennsylvania School of Medicine have shown a reduction in viral load in mice. "'By inducing mutations in the CCR5 gene using zinc finger proteins, we've reduced the expression of CCR5 surface proteins on T cells, which is necessary for the AIDS virus to enter these immune system cells,' explains first author Elena Perez, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Penn. 'This approach stops the AIDS virus from entering the T cells because it now has an introduced error into the CCR5 gene.'"
First? Say it ain't so...
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Researchers modify T-cells, make them goatse resistant
Don't they realize that by 2011 we're going to be all out of zinc? They need to be good libs and learn to make this out of a renewable resource, like cow crap... or Corn! or SWITCHGRASS!
Do not meddle in the affairs of sysadmins, for they are subtle, and quick to anger.
Aren't we having a zinc shortage? Get it from these fingers!!
This gene encodes a protein containing three zinc finger domains and a nuclear localization signal. The mRNA and the protein of this gene are upregulated by wildtype p53 and overexpression of this gene inhibits tumor cell growth, suggesting that this gene may have a role in the p53-dependent growth regulatory pathway. Alternative splicing of this gene results in two transcript variants encoding two isoforms differing in only one amino acid.
Oh wait...T-cells. I thought it said T-Virus.
what *else* do these surface proteins on the T cell do?
maybe there is something those altered structures do that we will miss when they stop performing their function...
not everything in the body is superfluous like the appendix or wisdom teeth.
"If still these truths be held to be
Self evident."
-Edna St. Vincent Millay
Haven't we learned not to modify T-Cells already?
sorry. I had to.
Prediction: The real iPhone killer is going to be sex robots from Japan. Think about it.
But this technology may provide a way to defend against this virus. By changing the "shape" of our T-cells it will prevent the virus from recognizing its target. This would render it ineffective and be effective against the numerous variants.
Of course, this is still early in the development cycle. There's always the chance of unintended consequences...
Talk about completely misreading even the one paragraph blurb. Zinc fingers are a large group of protein sub-structures which are used to interact with DNA. This group used them to induce a specific mutation which now seems to be HIV resistant How long this will last is really up in the air though, HIV and all other RNA viruses evolve very quickly.
Who wrote that summary? They can't even get the name of the school right - it's the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
Man, them's some shitty editorial standards you've got there.
Anyone else read this as a CRC error?
"Researchers Throw Finger at HIV"
Okay, great. We're injecting rats with aids, modifying their dna, ....I am just waiting for petsmart to issue a recall on rabid big-ass-badger sized rats that infect people with a mutant form of aids through IR-eye contact channels.
I'm too lazy to logon.
-Mazanoid
"Get outta heah, you sick bastid!"
Are we now going here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-Virus#T-Virus ?? Could be the end!
That sounds like a great plan. Insert errors into our genetic code until the virus leaves us alone. That's got to work.
Since they seek out t-cells, why not make a t-cell trap? Create a t-cell-like cell that has no value to replication of HIV virii, and once the HIV virus gets in, it's trapped.
Do it
Roughly half my comments are never submitted. You may be reading the better half...
I have to wonder by modifying the T-Cell will it screw up the immune system? Mutate it to do something else? I think the only true way to control HIV problem is through education and prevention. If people are stupid enough to have unprotected sex with an unknown partner then it's their problem. Also, this re-enforces the nature of being faithful in a relationship so stop screwing around people!!
I find your dating example pretty ackward,
I've never seen a sexy T-cell before but anyways...
--- I am known for the ones who want to find me on the net. Is that a privacy risk or a privilege? One might wonder..
Jimmy: Hey, what gives?
Jimmy's Dad: You said you wanted to live in a world without zinc Jimmy. Well now your car has no battery.
Jimmy: But I promised Betty I'd pick her up by 6:00. I better give her a call.
Jimmy's Dad: Sorry Jimmy. Without zinc for the rotary mechanism, there are no telephones.
Jimmy: Dear God! What have I done?
(Jimmy pulls out a gun and points it to his head and fires)
Jimmy's Dad: Think again Jimmy. You see the firing pin in your gun was made out of...yep...zinc.
Jimmy: Come back zinc, Come Back!!
Zinc fingers aren't proteins... they are parts of proteins (motifs) that bind to DNA. Along with zinc finger, there are four or five other common DNA-binding motifs that are in found in most DNA-binding proteins.
isn't modifying our t-cells a little dangerous? i would think that we need the receptor sites that they are suppressing, nature usually doesn't keep things around that we don't have a need for!!!
T-Cells you say, eh?
Then you revive the dead cells, and it comes zombies?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T_Virus
That's pretty much what all AIDS drugs have attempted to do, thus far. Making fake cells seems problematic, since you would have to replace the patient's own cells with them until all the virus has been "cleaned up." But interrupting the life cycle of the virus is the main goal of therapy. Viruses typically use enzymes and proteins to move in and out of human cells. Influenza, for example, uses hemagglutinin to break its way into the cell, then later uses neuraminidase to break back out when it's ready to spread further. If you can somehow block the action of either of these proteins, you have managed to disrupt the viral life cycle. If it can't spread, it should eventually die off. Thus, if a doctor gives you medicine to fight a bad flu, he's probably giving you what is called a "neuraminidase inhibitor." Scientists have tried to create many HIV drugs along similar lines. The problem, as always, is that the HIV virus mutates so rapidly that you can't assume that what worked an hour ago will still work now (literally).
Breakfast served all day!
CCR5 is a receptor for a class of signaling molecules used to coordinate action between T cells, other white blood cells, and other cells (like endothelial cells) that sense infection.
You can buy mice that have had CCR5 nuked entirely. They're slightly more susceptible to fungal and viral infections (HIV is an exception because it actually uses CCR5 to get into the cell), and slightly more resistant to damage caused by immune system malfunction (like asthma).
The reason they're not totally immune-disabled is that the CCRs are highly redundant. Most of the CCR5 signals will also be picked up by CCR1, CCR3, etc. Which is not to say this treatment is guaranteed to work (TGN1412 worked great in monkeys, and then killed people), and hacking the CCR5 gene in every cell in the body is not really feasible, but it's still interesting.
For years I've heard of HIV research focusing on either slowing the spread of HIV or focusing on killing the virus.
This solution instead makes it so the virus will have no effect. I would imagine that a HIV infected victim that has not been vacinated should even be able to receive immunized T-cell injections or even pill supplements.
The approach to this problem just reminds me of the kid that suggested letting the air out of the tires of the bus stuck in the tunnel. Of course it's obviously much more technical to modify T-cells in laboratories, but the beauty of the approach is equally elegant
the problem with aids is its ablity to adapt to such treatments thers been t-cell blockers befor the vires just mutated to get arund it. trust me if it was that easy to stop aids it would been done a very long time ago.
Zinc fingers are motifs (i.e. a combination of secondary structural elements with unique topolgy) - not a type of protein! But then again, you guys are computer scientists or engineers or w/e you call yourselves...so who cares as long as it sounds smart...eh?
As it happens errors in the CCR5 receptor occur naturally and with a significant frequency, mainly in European populations. This 'delta32' mutation results in a defective receptor, but the people with it are healthy. There is also a drugs on the market, maraviroc, that specifically inhibits CCR5. People with the CCR5-Delta32 mutation are 'long term non progressors', they carry the virus but don't develop AIDS, probably because the virus is incapable of destroying their immune system. HIV is actually found in variants that use the CCR5 or CXCR4 receptors as co-receptors to enter cells. Apparently X4-tropic viruses, while deadly, have a limited effect on people with uncompromised immune systems. Most infections are with R5, and X4 strains evolve in the later stages of disease. I don't think anybody as yet understands why, but this is a very reproducible occurrence.
No big deal. HIV will switch to using CXCR4 as a coreceptor for entry. It happens anyway, even with CCR5 tropic variants , now it will just happen earlier :-)
... tin whiskers are the way to go.
Yes - this is good news - but can they cure my cold?
"i lost my dignity on a slippery wiener"
"Zincfinger
He's the man, the man with the galvanized touch
A spider's touch
Such a cold finger
Beckons you to enter his web of sin
But don't go in..."
I just came here to see if any slashdotter atleast had some knowledge on HIV. All of these theories cropping up as cures and no one sees the truth. So that is what is needed to let AIDS virus attack. I am sure they dont have any test results to show. Like put the hiv virus and these t-cells in a testube together and show us some results. Cause the damn HIV virus is a hoax. I have yet to see a test or a cure that actually has been proven with a live culture of HIV virus. All on theories Before you argue please look for scientific proof on virusmyth.net. Thank you
Sounds like it's taking a genetic slant on Pfizer's Maraviroc.