Saturday, March 2, 2013

A Cure for HIV?

In the January issue of a genetics journal called Immunity, an article on a special protein was published. In this article, UCLA researchers described a protein that blocked out viruses.This protein was something called cholesterol-25-hydroxylase (CH25H), which is an enzyme that changes cholesterol into an oxysterol called 25-hydroxycholesterol (25HC). This oxysterol can enter a cell's membrane and keep viruses from getting in. The enzyme is only activated by interferon, which is a protein that sends cells antiviral signals. The human body happens to produce interferon. Unlike most other antiviral genes, 25HC is natural, soluble, and can be easily utilized.

Researchers at UCLA AIDS Institute were the ones who discovered that 25HC inhibits HIV in cells. They injected HIV-positive mice, that contained implanted human tissue, with 25HC. UCLA researchers realized that 25HC significantly reduced the amount of HIV each mouse had, in only seven days. The 25HC also reversed the T-cell depletion caused by HIV. Further testing showed that not only did 25HC destroy the HIV, but kept HIV from entering the cell. It was also found that 25HC inhibits the growth of other deadly viruses, such as Ebola, Nipah and the Rift Valley Fever virus.

Although it seems like there is finally magical cure, researchers aren't fully done yet. 25HC is hard to give in large doses, and its antiviral effect against Ebola, Nipah and other highly pathogenic viruses haven't yet been tested in a living being. Also, the researchers still need to test 25HC's effect against other HIV antivirals.

Link to article:
http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/02/11/newly_identified_natural_protein_blocks_hiv_other_deadly_viruses.html

NOS Themes:
  • Science is based on evidence: UCLA researchers did tests on mice and found that 25HC cured their HIV.
  • Importance of repeatability: The researchers were able to get the same effect from multiple mice they tested on.
  • Role of motivation and curiosity: If this "cure" works then many lives will be saved.
Related sites:
http://www.aidshealth.org/learn-about-it?gclid=CICo-sXK37UCFShgMgod0CwA7g
http://www.aidshealth.org/recently-diagnosed?gclid=CMO05t7K37UCFc5AMgod42YAbQ

4 comments:

  1. Wow, that is really interesting and imagine if they actually are able to administer it in large doses, the amount of people that could be saved. But do you think that it would be available worldwide and at affordable prices?
    Another nature of science theme for this is that science is collaborative because more than one scientist worked on the experiment.

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  2. This was intriguing to read, especially due to the developing news. A baby exposed and possibly infected by HIV at birth was given three antiretroviral treatments only 30 hours after birth. Usually, infants are given one drug for a week and then a different one for the next six weeks. On day 29, the baby tested negative for HIV. While doctors have not done a complete study on using this type of treatment, this could be another method for curing HIV in newborns.
    For more information: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/348710/description/Baby_may_be_cured_of_HIV

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  3. I thought that your article was very interesting because I have always wondered when or if scientists would come up with a way to cure "uncurable" diseases such as HIV. It is very interesting to learn that 25HC is also effective in blocking other diseases such as Ebola. It makes me wonder if 25HC could be effective in blocking at least some types of cancer. This article made me think about progress on finding a cure for cancer. It seems like progress on finding a cure for HIV has been in the news a lot lately. Hopefully 25HC works!

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