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U.S. baby's cure from HIV raises hope, new questions

Discussion in 'Science & Technology' started by Frumundah Finnatic, Mar 4, 2013.

  1. Frumundah Finnatic

    Frumundah Finnatic U Mad Miami?

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    Great news indeed.
     
    Eshlemon likes this.
  2. Silverphin

    Silverphin Well-Known Member

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    Is it possible that this type of therapy can be used on adults?
     
  3. Eshlemon

    Eshlemon Well-Known Member

    Don't know why adults can't be cured either, as for adults a release today on "a functional cure".


    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/16/w...can-control-hiv-after-stopping-treatment.html


     
  4. Jimmy James

    Jimmy James Ron Swanson

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    The baby cure won't likely directly lead to an adult cure because evidently there are places in the body the virus can hide and lay dormant. They basically got to the baby's virus before it could colonize those areas. With that said, the principles at play if repeatable will very likely contribute to a body of understanding just like the case of the so-called Berlin patient, the first man cured. If I remember his case right, he got a bone marrow transplant. A functional cure should happen within the decade easily as I understand it, and it is very possible even more promising things will happen as well.
     
  5. Ohio Fanatic

    Ohio Fanatic Twuaddle or bust Club Member

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    As someone who's spent years working on anti-viral research, including HIV, I don't think it will be that easy to achieve in 10 years. First, getting bone-marrow transplants for all the HIV patients is not feasible. It's difficult enough to get a match for one person. The reason why patients who are compliant with the full treatment cocktail of anti-virals are showing success is because the cocktails now contain multiple HIV drugs that all have very different mechanisms of action, making it much harder for the HIV virus to find a workaround either through mutation or adaption. But, viruses usually find a way to stay ahead of the curve. which is why is important for research companies to keep trying to find new HIV treatments to either shorten the duration of treatment or find a new target in the HIV viral life cycle.
     

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