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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."
AIDS is pwned. Good for us and our "junk" DNA. One man's junk is another man's treasure!
We reactivated this gene in the lab, and it seemed to work. There's a type of antibiotic that seems to reactivate the gene as well. So applying the antibiotic topically (read "like spermicidal foam/gel) should reactivate the gene in a woman's naughtybits and so fight the virus.
Focused on the woman - good idea. But how does science focus on the man? How about "STOP FUCKING PEOPLE WHO AREN'T YOUR WIFE/GIRLFRIED/SIGNIFIGANT OTHER!"
"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
Junk DNA = We don't really know what it does
$signature =~ s/$signature//;
Science fiction???
Simply go for a walk around any UK town or city centre on a Saturday night and you'll see the Neanderthals out in force vomiting into gutters and pushing glasses into each other's faces.
Gentoo Linux - another day, another USE flag.
In this work, we reveal that coating the inside of your car's tail pipe reacts with the metal to prevent tail pipe wevils, (Highly Infectious Vermin) from nesting and eventually breaking down your entire car's resistance from rust.
there's a whole bunch of crap down there i needed at one time, and mostly have forgotten about. there's also a small chance i'll need something down there again, but usefulness is so marginal. but every now and then i'll notice a glimmer of something in the corner i had totally forgotten, and i go "holy crap! this is incredibly important!"
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
Informative?
We're doomed...
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
We still have a lot of our DNA not yet "activated"[...] This also means we're still babies in terms of our evolution.
Fire up Windows.
Now fire up every single application you have installed.
While you're at it, download and load every single Windows application ever.
Getting a lot done?
Maybe activating the "full potential" of Windows isn't all that useful.
You joke, but thats exactly why it would have been commented out. Without the selective pressure to keep it, its a waste of cellular effort, as are most adaptations. The reason it was still active in the monkey is the others died.
a handful of selfish greedy people are no match for millions of selfish, greedy people -u4ya
"They examined the human genome for any evidence of a latent gene that could manufacture such a protein"
Weren't there reports of humans that were resistant to HIV?
Maybe they should start checking their genome and see if this sequence is partially or fully active?