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Prehistoric Gene Reawakened To Battle HIV
Linuss points out research published in PLoS Biology that demonstrates the reawakening of latent human cells' ability to manufacture an HIV defense. A group of scientists led by Nitya Venkataraman began with the knowledge that Old World monkeys have a built-in immunity to HIV: a protein that can prevent HIV from entering cell walls and starting an infection. They examined the human genome for any evidence of a latent gene that could manufacture such a protein, and found the capability in a stretch of what has been dismissively termed "junk DNA." "In this work, we reveal that, upon correction of the premature termination codon in theta-defensin pseudogenes, human myeloid cells produce cyclic, antiviral peptides (which we have termed 'retrocyclins'), indicating that the cells retain the intact machinery to make cyclic peptides. Furthermore, we exploited the ability of aminoglycoside antibiotics to read-through the premature termination codon within retrocyclin transcripts to produce functional peptides that are active against HIV-1. Given that the endogenous production of retrocyclins could also be restored in human cervicovaginal tissues, we propose that aminoglycoside-based topical microbicides might be useful in preventing sexual transmission of HIV-1."
Praise Raptor Jesus!
"Why did they cancel my favorite Sci-Fi show? I downloaded ALL the episodes!"
I don't know what's scarier: the fact that a story with this sort of language made it to the front page or the fact that I understood it completely.
right...
/* This code commented out because I'm sure they're going to change their mind and I don't want to redo all the work. */
Just don't stick your junk in the wrong treasure and you'll be fine.
One man's junk is another man's treasure!
I'll just treasure my own junk, thank you very much.
So how long till we're all having hot monkey sex with each other? Count me out of turning on any monkey genes in *my* DNA, thank you.
I've seen this episode of ST:TNG, so I *know* how this is all going to end.
Michael Coyne
http://turthalion.blogspot.com
Minor side effect of re-activating the sequence - you become very hairy, lose the ability to walk upright, and have a curious craving to pick through other's hair in search of lice.
Hope is the currency of fools
For some reason George W Bush springs to mind...
You're posting on /.
It goes without saying that you're the only one to treasure your junk.
a caveman could do it.
Yarr... Indeed, but don't forget to mention cursed booty.
Unfortunately no. By using the 'pwned' in reference to a potentially major scientific breakthrough you've actually made AIDS mutate to become airborne and highly contagious.
It's called the 'Nantucket Principle'. Where using idiotic phrases in reference to intelligent work causes the work to be destroyed.
Another case of this principle at work was when the Wright brothers tried their first airplane prototype. Just before they were going to do their first test flight Orville said something to the effect of 'We are going to codfloddle this strumpet!' which caused Bernoulli's principle to completely change, setting flight back many years.
So you have to watch it.
And that was the last Terry Fox run I ever participated in.
I just want to know how this bug got out of testing. You'd think "causes AIDS" would be a showstopper
Thus sayeth the Lord:
"It is no bug, yea verily, it is a feature."
I am the richest astronaut ever to win the superbowl.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Just yours.