Researchers Block HIV Infection In Monkeys With Artificial Protein

An anonymous reader writes: Immunologists have developed a synthetic molecule that's able to attach to HIV and prevent it from interacting with healthy cells. "HIV infects white blood cells by sequentially attaching to two receptors on their surfaces. First, HIV's own surface protein, gp120, docks on the cell's CD4 receptor. This attachment twists gp120 such that it exposes a region on the virus that can attach to the second cellular receptor, CCR5. The new construct combines a piece of CD4 with a smidgen of CCR5 and attaches both receptors to a piece of an antibody. In essence, the AIDS virus locks onto the construct, dubbed eCD4-Ig, as though it were attaching to a cell and thus is neutralized." The new compound was tested in monkeys. After successively higher injections of HIV, all four monkeys who received the compound beforehand stayed from free infection. Any potential medical treatment is still a ways off — the researchers plan more trials in monkeys before involving humans in the testing.

Comments

Re:Cancer just doesn't have that "it" factor!!

[bobbied]

What a troll... Who cares?

Look, I don't care what the Hollywood elites want to throw their PR machines onto, it's usually bogus from them anyway. For the most part it's about the show, the PR the "look at me!" mind set with them. If their efforts manage to actually *help* somebody, I'm totally happy for everybody involved, knock yourselves out, raise money enjoying rubber chicken at $10,000/plate or recording PSA's for free.

Just remember that all this hoopla is only really about 2 things. 1. Public Relations and keeping your face in front of the paps so your photo shows up more often to keep your prospective fan base alive between your actual paying gigs... 2. For some, a secondary point is to assuage their feelings of guilt for being so affluent and living in such opulent surroundings. They tell themselves they ARE good people, after all they did all this AIDS/Cancer/Feed the Children/SPCA and PETA stuff for free..

Be happy anytime good comes out of something and stop complaining that their issue of the day is the wrong one in your eyes. Be happy even if their motives for doing good are no good. Just be happy that good is being done and let the rest go. Then go out and do what YOU think is right...