AIDS Can Fight AIDS

dptalia writes "Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have announced that they have engineered a strain of the AIDS virus that fights AIDS. This strain of AIDS works like a vaccine and improved the immune system of the test subjects. After three years on this new therapy, no side effects have been observed."

Perhaps HIV?

[Anonymous Coward]

There is no such thing as an "AIDS" virus, per say... I think you mean to say that they used a modified HIV virus. AIDS is the resulting symptom that people with HIV (or certain other diseases) might develop.

AIDS Can Fight AIDS?

[Purity Of Essence]

AIDS is a condition, not a virus.

AIDS != HIV

Re:AIDS Can Fight AIDS?

[blitz77]

Where art thou, mods?!!? Mod parent up!

HIV is the virus which affects the immune system (by infecting the T-helper lymphocytes). AIDS is what happens after enough time has passed for the HIV virus to put a sufficient enough dent in the immune system - that's why its called Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome after all.

So I think its more correct to say that it's HIV to fight HIV-using a HIV modified virus to stimulate the immune system against HIV.

Re:AIDS Hoax-Ten reasons HIV is not the cause of A

[TheRealSync]

Pseudoscience kills. Do not spread it.

Facts: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/Factsheets/evidhiv.htm [nih.gov]

Aids doesn't kill people, drugs kill people

[nido]

One example of someone who declined to take an AIDS cocktail:

Traywick [one-time heavy meth user] was diagnosed 21 years ago and has been healthy ever since, despite never having taken anti-HIV medications. Antibody tests demonstrate conclusively that he harbors the virus. But his immune system has controlled it so effectively that repeated blood assays have never shown a detectable level of the invader, even though Traywick still occasionally uses speed and engages in unprotected sex.

-HIV-Positive Group May Hold the Key to Defeating AIDS [latimes.com]: Infected but not ill, 'elite controllers' make up less than 1% of those with the virus. They may hold the key to its cure. (emphasis added)

I understand that all the AIDS patients who took AZT [wikipedia.org] in the 80's are now dead. Not much of a surprise, when you consider the side effects [wikipedia.org].

Follow the money, and you too can understand why AIDS is still getting the "teh cure is just around the corner", after over 20 years of research.

Antisense (iRNA)

[Anonymous Coward]

They key here, i believe, is the use of antisense http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisense [wikipedia.org] to block production of the HIV-1 Virus. this novel approach of RNA interfances (nobel prize 06) is one of the (indirect) reasons why the nobel prize was adward.

Re:A lot more is necessary...

[tryptych]

These HIV cocktails DO effectively stop AIDS. AIDS is a condition caused by the HIV virus reducing and eventually depleting CD4 cells used in the immune system to nothing. An uninfected person usually has a CD4 count of around 800. When this is reduced to under 100, this is then classified as AIDS. Even if the CD4 count were to rise well above that threshold, they are still considered to have AIDS. Most HIV+ people on combination therapy start once their CD4 drops below 200, and from then on it rises back up at about 100 a year thereafter. The side effects are often not good, but so far, everyone seems to be living pretty normal lives. It's no cure, but its a start. http://www.aidsmap.com/ [aidsmap.com]

Re:Perhaps HIV? - Nitpicking the Nitpicker

[Mjlner]

There is no such thing as an "AIDS" virus, per say... I think you mean to say that they used a modified HIV virus. AIDS is the resulting symptom that people with HIV (or certain other diseases) might develop.

There is no such thing as an "HIV virus", per se. There is, however a "Human Immunodeficiency Virus", which is shortened to HIV, or - if you will - " the HI-virus".

Setting the record straight - New advances (HIV)

[blahdeblah2000]

Every couple of weeks or so the media buy a press release about how 'a new drug' / 'gene therapy' / 'Nanotechnology' could possibly cure AIDS.

Now let's get a few things straight -

Firstly, all these potential cures work against HIV (which causes AIDS).

Secondly, there are already some great meds around for extend life span of people infected with the HI virus by 20+ years as long as people infected are adherrent to their drugs and live healthly lifestyle. Of course when you live in poverty and without access to decent healthcare this is damn hard - hence the problems in resource poor communities.

Thirdly, there is a huge pipeline of new potential drugs which may improve on the current medication regimes and if anyone is interested these tables below will give some indication of the new advanced that may possibly become approved over the next few years after extensive tests: -

• Immune-Based Therapies & Preventive Technologies Pipeline Tables [aidsinfonyc.org] Note that VRX496 is just one of the 5 listed gene therapies.
  
• 2006 Antiretrovirals in Development Pipeline [aidsinfonyc.org]

Finally, if people are really interested in the latest new drugs for HIV they can get the simply subscribe to thebody.com that has an excellent newsletter which includes new developments. Or look at their latest update on Other Antiviral Drugs in Development- Sept 13 2006 [thebody.com] and note the following paragraph

'Antisense Drugs These are a "mirror image" of part of the HIV genetic code. The drug locks onto the virus to prevent it from functioning. One antisense drug, HGTV43 by Enzo Therapeutics, is starting Phase II trials. VIRxSYS has completed a Phase I trial of its product, VRX496.'

Re:AIDS is just a made up desease

[blahdeblah2000]

If you want to read about the duesburg hypothesis please read the whole story as this is really old stuff and his views are not accepted by the scientific community.

Wikipedia has a reasonably fair article regarding this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duesberg_hypothesis [wikipedia.org] and science had a damning article regarding it no less than 12 years ago http://www.sciencemag.org/feature/data/cohen/266-5 191-1642a.pdf [sciencemag.org]

Henry Cho

[drew_kime]

From the What's That Clickin' Noise? [amazon.com] show.