Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't HIV an RNA virus? RNA viruses mutates at a very high rate since they lack the DNA error correction / checking. The main reason that HIV becomes resistant to drugs is a result of normal Darwinism. A set of the resistant mutations become are more "fit" and thrive.
If the cure here is an engineered HIV virus, I imagine that this new virus is also RNA based. I'm making that assumption since there were no details in the article, but I believe all HIV viruses are of the RNA variety.
What is there to stop this new RNA virus from mutating into something else, perhaps even more harmful than HIV?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of the anti gene therapy guys, its just that engineering Human RNA viruses seems very risky.
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't HIV an RNA virus? RNA viruses mutates at a very high rate since they lack the DNA error correction / checking. The main reason that HIV becomes resistant to drugs is a result of normal Darwinism. A set of the resistant mutations become are more "fit" and thrive. If the cure here is an engineered HIV virus, I imagine that this new virus is also RNA based. I'm making that assumption since there were no details in the article, but I believe all HIV viruses are of the RNA variety. What is there to stop this new RNA virus from mutating into something else, perhaps even more harmful than HIV? Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of the anti gene therapy guys, its just that engineering Human RNA viruses seems very risky.
A good name for the project would be Wikipedia, seriously, do these MIT guys even browse the web, or is that too low tech for them?