Additional Links: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-hiv-cell-culture-crispr-cas.html
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1038161
“The authors emphasise that their work represents proof of concept, and will not become a cure for HIV tomorrow. They say: “Our next steps involve optimising the delivery route to target the majority of the HIV reservoir cells. We will combine the CRISPR therapeutics and receptor-targeting reagents and move to preclinical models to study in detail the efficacy and safety aspects of a combined cure strategy. This will be instrumental to achieve preferential CRISPR-Cas delivery to the reservoir cells and avoiding delivery into non-reservoir cells. This strategy is to make this system as safe as possible for future clinical applications. We hope to achieve the right balance between efficacy and safety of this CURE strategy. Only then can we consider clinical trials of ‘cure’ in humans to disable the HIV reservoir. While these preliminary findings are very encouraging, it is premature to declare that there is a functional HIV cure on the horizon.””
As even the article says, we must be cautious because this is purely in the lab at the moment, but this could be a breakthrough along the lines of antibiotics in terms of doing something about virulent viruses, not just HIV!
Just think of all the lives lost because of the Reagan government hating gay people.
HIV played a huge part in making societies generally more conservative in the past 40 years or so. Having a cure might start to turn things in the other direction again.
Well, until Reagan’s buddy Rock Hudson got it. Then it started getting funding.
While certainly an interesting development, this is just in a petri dish.
Every science article, every single one. They always make things sound like breakthroughs and I have to come in the comments to find out it’s bullshit or exaggerations. Why?
It’s an issue with media outlets sensationalizing everything. The authors of the study even say that it’s premature to call this a cure in humans. It is a nice step forward though.
The truth is they use this as a way to secure additional funding, or show existing grants that progress is being made.
Whenever you feel the need to ask why in a capitalistic driven society, the answer usually ends up being: “money”.
Rtfm?
The headline is clickbait. The article ends with
“While these preliminary findings are very encouraging, it is premature to declare that there is a functional HIV cure on the horizon,” the researchers say.
I get more frustrated with articles like this than true clickbait. Here’s a genuine breakthrough in science, in an important health area: we should be excited, happy, inspired. Instead we’re annoyed by a misleading clickbait headline
Why?
so that people click the link
Jokes on them, I did not, I just read the most popular Lemmy comment.
To be fair, every ‘breakthrough’ starts small and takes decades before reaching the public.
Lithium-ion batteries are my favorite example because we take them for granted but the technology to make them was proven in the 70s.
Tell me you didn’t read the article without telling me you didn’t read the article.
Yep, might as well have used bleach.
Some of you really need to stay off the internet.
That’s not even remotely the same thing.
This is great news!
On another note, does this mean reckless casual sex is back in style?
Other STIs still exist, as does risk of pregnancy for hetero couples. Casual sex is on the table, always has been. Just make sure you’re wrapping the appropriate bits, and keeping on top of your personal health.
Not with you.
That’s cool, I prefer to watch from the closet while dressed as Superman, anyway. /s
Exactly. Own your weirdness and turn it into an asset.
Well super gonorrhea is a thing now, so I’d probably give it a wait personally.
After Ebola had a cure, everyone just kept eating spoiled contaminated food.
That reminds me, I gotta check my cat gelatin. It goes great with bat frittata.
The #1 reckless casual sex thing you are referring to in which helps spread it is rape. No It hasn’t gone away or ‘fallen out of style’ sadly. Nor has used needles.
Sir, this is a Wendy’s.
Here’s what’s interesting about this: HIV is a retrovirus. That means it integrates itself in your DNA. This approach edits the virus in your DNA. The downside is that, like most recombinant viruses, hiv mutates often. This would have to be tailored.
The other, bigger issue is that this only removes the virus in DNA. The virus RNA and packages to turn it into DNA and reinsert it need to be delt with before it can be cured.
In achieving a true cure, you would have to achieve both steps. Considering our previous success was to off all your bone marrow and replace it, this is a promising approach.
I’m pretty excited. Sad it took 40 years though
Imagine if scientists working on cures had the budget of the US military…
Sure, but this approach could’ve never been achieved without CRISPR. That basic research was the lynchpin that may allow gene editing in the future.
There are plenty of retro viruses i would hope these could apply to.
The entire origin of CRISPR is an immune defense mechanism against retroviruses. It’s just cool that we’re able to use bacteria immune strategies in our own cells.
Bout time
I’m still impressed by the pills that stop infection. From epidemic to this all within a lifetime.
Fuck yeah science!
They help prevent infection but they’re definitely not 100%
The way I look at it, less than 40 years ago, it was a death sentence. Now it’s a “you can live damn near a normal life and life expectancy”. That is incredible.
That’s still amazing if you ask me.
Agreed! I just wanted to clarify that it isn’t 100%.
Maybe I’m wrong here, but from TV (not the best I know) I thought the pills were so effective you didn’t even need to disclose your status to a sexual partner?
Not that hiding your status is great either, but from a legal standpoint that’s substantial.
If you’re HIV Positive, you wouldn’t be taking PrEP anyway, and would need to disclose your status. If you’re taking PrEP, it’s preventative therapy, so you would not have to disclose that you’re taking it.
Ah, I got that mixed up then. Thanks!
No worries. I deal with this kind of thing all day at work.
