I wonder if perhaps the disease were in an isolated population removed from taking of blood samples. I don't know how likely this is because Congo samples from 1959 were apparently available. I wonder what the source is for this information? Were samples from the Congo available all the way back to the early 20th century?
Just to add a little bit to that:
There are also theories that suggest that HIV has been in the human population for much longer than one might think (early 1980s). See Gilbert et al, PNAS, 2007. In Nathanson et al (1993), there is evidence of these immunodeficiency viruses being in primates for a very long time.
In the early days of HIV/AIDS epidemic, blood transfusions were one way that HIV was spread. And recently in the news was the finding that several people contracted HIV from an organ donor who had become HIV positive only weeks before death and organ harvesting.
To understand this, you can do sequence comparisons between retroviral genes and our own genes. For example, retroviruses have an enzyme called reverse transcriptase. This enzyme is a type of polymerase. We have many polymerases in our body, and if RT developed from one of them, then there would be very substantial sequence similarity. This is one way to figure out what proteins do if you do not know their function. You compare their amino acid sequence to other known proteins and see if they are similar. This is very common, and it is how researchers establish relationships between retroviruses to understand how they evolve. For example, HIV is a member of the subgroup of retroviruses called lentiviruses, and these viruses have many things in common. HIV has a cousin called SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus) that is very similar. A really good reference is Coffin, RETROVIRUSES, from Cold Spring Harbor Press.
Viruses are relatively speaking, very simple. They have very few genes, and they have few functions. By comparison, simple bacteria often have several hundred times as many genes. If we want to understand how organisms work period, it's necessary to start with the basics. I study retrovirus proteins, and our collaborators routinely use "live" HIV viruses to infect cells. The procedures are quite standard. In those experiments, often the HIV strain that is used can only infect cells one time and cannot replicate. The researchers in the article do the same thing.
As the article mentions, some retroviruses can become activated in cancer cells. This is one way people have proposed for identifying cancer cells for destruction. But the fossilized retroviruses in this article have become mutated, most likely in an enzyme that is required for them to be functional. The integrase protein actually splices the viral DNA into the host DNA. If that DNA has a part that is nonfunctional, then the DNA may be nonfunctional. That is, it will not be made into messenger RNAs and thus not be made into proteins.
From the article,
"Starting with the work of Rimland (1964), it is well understood that genetics or biology plays an important role, but many in the medical community argue that the increased incidence must be due to an environmental trigger that is becoming more common over time (a few argue that the cause is a widening of the criteria used to diagnose the condition and that the increased incidence is thus illusory)."
So a few in the medical community argue that increases or modifications in diagnosis contribute to increased numbers of patients. This hand-waving gesture suggests that this sort of argument is not really holding sway, perhaps for the reasons mentioned above.
Sadly, it's very difficult to have your FOIA requests actually answered. Usually the first time that you submit the FOIA paperwork, your request is turned down. After a second or third submission with the proper processing fee, you might finally get your information, most likely a year or two after you wanted it. Of course, that doesn't make the information obsolete. I remember receiving the findings of FOIAs at the campus newspaper office. They would come in the mail, and the editor who had filed the FOIA had left the paper years earlier. A reporter would search through the files and write up a long overdue article that was no longer as newsworthy. Now maybe some journalists are experts at filing these requests, but I don't wish that upon anyone. From what I understand, the whole FOIA process is unnecessarily difficult. I would hope that somehow this request was filed a year or two ago.
It seems like the operations that NASA does get right are ultimately quashed. Remember this little tidbit from last week about silencing a scientist's findings on global warming?
tetris for the NES has always been a favorite of mine, and someone in the house i live in leaves the nintendo on 24/7 so that the high scores stay in the machine. actually, tetris is the only game ever really played. it never ends. it always goes higher. you can always beat your personal best. it fosters a friendly sort of rivalry among the guys and gals in the house.
modern games don't seem to have the same replayfulness because they end. in tetris, you always lose, and you can always get a higher score. (unless you're playing B-type). and it also gives your mind a bit of a workout as far as spatial/rotational manipulations go.
Slashdot Mirror
Then it's God Who is evolving! Intelligent design and evolution are true. He really is omnipotent!
I wonder if perhaps the disease were in an isolated population removed from taking of blood samples. I don't know how likely this is because Congo samples from 1959 were apparently available. I wonder what the source is for this information? Were samples from the Congo available all the way back to the early 20th century?
Just to add a little bit to that: There are also theories that suggest that HIV has been in the human population for much longer than one might think (early 1980s). See Gilbert et al, PNAS, 2007. In Nathanson et al (1993), there is evidence of these immunodeficiency viruses being in primates for a very long time. In the early days of HIV/AIDS epidemic, blood transfusions were one way that HIV was spread. And recently in the news was the finding that several people contracted HIV from an organ donor who had become HIV positive only weeks before death and organ harvesting.
To understand this, you can do sequence comparisons between retroviral genes and our own genes. For example, retroviruses have an enzyme called reverse transcriptase. This enzyme is a type of polymerase. We have many polymerases in our body, and if RT developed from one of them, then there would be very substantial sequence similarity. This is one way to figure out what proteins do if you do not know their function. You compare their amino acid sequence to other known proteins and see if they are similar. This is very common, and it is how researchers establish relationships between retroviruses to understand how they evolve. For example, HIV is a member of the subgroup of retroviruses called lentiviruses, and these viruses have many things in common. HIV has a cousin called SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus) that is very similar. A really good reference is Coffin, RETROVIRUSES, from Cold Spring Harbor Press.
Viruses are relatively speaking, very simple. They have very few genes, and they have few functions. By comparison, simple bacteria often have several hundred times as many genes. If we want to understand how organisms work period, it's necessary to start with the basics. I study retrovirus proteins, and our collaborators routinely use "live" HIV viruses to infect cells. The procedures are quite standard. In those experiments, often the HIV strain that is used can only infect cells one time and cannot replicate. The researchers in the article do the same thing.
As the article mentions, some retroviruses can become activated in cancer cells. This is one way people have proposed for identifying cancer cells for destruction. But the fossilized retroviruses in this article have become mutated, most likely in an enzyme that is required for them to be functional. The integrase protein actually splices the viral DNA into the host DNA. If that DNA has a part that is nonfunctional, then the DNA may be nonfunctional. That is, it will not be made into messenger RNAs and thus not be made into proteins.
That's why they bring tents.
From the article, "Starting with the work of Rimland (1964), it is well understood that genetics or biology plays an important role, but many in the medical community argue that the increased incidence must be due to an environmental trigger that is becoming more common over time (a few argue that the cause is a widening of the criteria used to diagnose the condition and that the increased incidence is thus illusory)." So a few in the medical community argue that increases or modifications in diagnosis contribute to increased numbers of patients. This hand-waving gesture suggests that this sort of argument is not really holding sway, perhaps for the reasons mentioned above.
Sadly, it's very difficult to have your FOIA requests actually answered. Usually the first time that you submit the FOIA paperwork, your request is turned down. After a second or third submission with the proper processing fee, you might finally get your information, most likely a year or two after you wanted it. Of course, that doesn't make the information obsolete. I remember receiving the findings of FOIAs at the campus newspaper office. They would come in the mail, and the editor who had filed the FOIA had left the paper years earlier. A reporter would search through the files and write up a long overdue article that was no longer as newsworthy. Now maybe some journalists are experts at filing these requests, but I don't wish that upon anyone. From what I understand, the whole FOIA process is unnecessarily difficult. I would hope that somehow this request was filed a year or two ago.
Or practicing with the holy hand grenade of Antioch.
I ... I feel violated. Phaexoriana, why didn't you tell me your name was Roger?
It seems like the operations that NASA does get right are ultimately quashed. Remember this little tidbit from last week about silencing a scientist's findings on global warming?
9 climate.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/29/science/earth/2
All in all, the last week has been harsh press for NASA (and in spite of such a good year with respect to the Mars rover).
tetris for the NES has always been a favorite of mine, and someone in the house i live in leaves the nintendo on 24/7 so that the high scores stay in the machine. actually, tetris is the only game ever really played. it never ends. it always goes higher. you can always beat your personal best. it fosters a friendly sort of rivalry among the guys and gals in the house. modern games don't seem to have the same replayfulness because they end. in tetris, you always lose, and you can always get a higher score. (unless you're playing B-type). and it also gives your mind a bit of a workout as far as spatial/rotational manipulations go.