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A 42-year-old man who had both leukemia and AIDS received a bone marrow transplant — a common, late-stage treatment for that type of cancer. His doctor selected a bone marrow donor who had a rare genetic mutation that renders people virtually immune to HIV. The transplant appeared to cure the patient of AIDS. We’re as wary as the next guy of inferring too much from a single case study. Maybe it was a fluke; maybe there were unknown factors at work. But this one is pretty intriguing.
The immune system cells, created by UK and US scientists, can lock on to HIV, even after it has mutated to throw them off the scent.
It is hoped the Nature Medicine study could lead to a more effective way of tackling HIV infection.
Tests on people with advanced HIV may start next year.Most viruses can be "cleared" by the body's own defences, partly due to cells called "killer T-cells", which learn to recognise the intruder and eliminate it.
However, HIV's power stems from its ability to mutate rapidly to evade detection and destruction.
The project underway at the Universities of Cardiff and Pennsylvania, in partnership with an Oxford-based biotech company, involves the creation "souped-up" T-cells with the ability to recognise and attack more of these mutated forms.
To do this, the scientists attach extra versions of the "T-cell receptor", the part of the cell responsible for scanning and removing infected cells, which have been preset to identify various HIV mutations.
In laboratory studies, the modified T-cells were able to destroy HIV cells in a laboratory cell culture.
The immune system cells, created by UK and US scientists, can lock on to HIV, even after it has mutated to throw them off the scent.It is hoped the Nature Medicine study could lead to a more effective way of tackling HIV infection.
Tests on people with advanced HIV may start next year.Most viruses can be "cleared" by the body's own defences, partly due to cells called "killer T-cells", which learn to recognise the intruder and eliminate it.
However, HIV's power stems from its ability to mutate rapidly to evade detection and destruction.
The project underway at the Universities of Cardiff and Pennsylvania, in partnership with an Oxford-based biotech company, involves the creation "souped-up" T-cells with the ability to recognise and attack more of these mutated forms.
To do this, the scientists attach extra versions of the "T-cell receptor", the part of the cell responsible for scanning and removing infected cells, which have been preset to identify various HIV mutations.
In laboratory studies, the modified T-cells were able to destroy HIV cells in a laboratory cell culture.
Source: Health Blog
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