According to an article from The Huffington Post and
information submitted to an issue of Human Gene Therapy, a scientific team of
medical researchers may have discovered a therapy to potentially prevent HIV
from progressing into the deadly AIDS. Researchers at the Queensland Institute
of Medical Research, led by Associate Professor Dr. David Harrich, have been
developing a gene therapy, Nullbasic, that alters an essential protein
within the HIV virus. The mutation of this crucial protein essentially prevents
HIV from replicating and spreading beyond its current state. Therefore, it’s
like calling a time-out on a genetic level within the body. The individual will
still be positive for HIV but their level of infection and progression of the
virus will stop. If treatment is started early on when HIV is diagnosed in its
first stages, this gene therapy will prevent HIV from infecting more of the
body and prevent the virus from progressing into AIDS.
In addition to nullifying the virus, the research team has
also been developing a gene therapy using stem cells as part of their cure.
This involves slicing out certain gene sequences within the stem cells and
replacing them with HIV resistant sequences. These HIV resistant stem cells
have the potential to be applied within the body as an added way to fight the
HIV virus, especially when used as virus-fighting T-cells. While this is good
news in the world of medical research, those living with HIV/AIDS will have to
rely on current treatments. Continued research, clinical trials, government
approval, funding, and human trials can take decades to finish. Gene therapy
and stem cell research already have a controversial stigma associated with
them. However, with an estimated 34 million people in the world infected with
HIV/AIDS worldwide, there are enough supporters crying for a cure that
alternative treatments and therapies can fast track into viable cures. Already
in the U.S. approximately 60% of HIV infected people use some form of
complementary/alternative medicine with the already mainstream forms of
treatments. It is a balance between taking the time to test for safety and
bringing a cure as fast as possible to millions of ailing patients. Intelligent
research may be the key to innovation and finding new ways to treat old
diseases. It’s not necessarily finding a new miracle cure, but looking at what
is already in place and finding a way to make it work. Think MacGyver meets
medicine.
