Brazilian scientists create artificial HIV virus

This has just hit the brazilian MSM today. A joint research between the UFPE and UFRJ, two big universities in Brazil, has succeeded in creating an artificial HIV virus. The scientists announce that this will allow the development of a new therapeutical vaccine for AIDS patients.

The virus was obtained through cloning, using a procedure called PCR(Polimerase Chain Reaction). "With the PCR, we slice parts of the DNA and put them together again, creating the genome of an innactive HIV virus", explains the professor of the Genetics Department of UFPE, Sergio Crovella.

The pilot prototype was developed two weeks ago, which was only possible with the financial funding of CDC in Atlanta, totalling USD $ 500,000.00 in the last 12 months.

The research team that created the synthetic virus is the same one testing the vaccine. The vaccine is made from Dendritic Cells, the ones responsible for immunity in the body system.

The second fase has begun recently and should last three years, with the objective of reaching 100% of efficacy in the use of the vaccines.

Crovella says that this type of vaccine could substitute the autologic vaccine, which is made from extracting the blood from the patient. The autologic vaccine is expensive, costing USD $ 3,000.00 just to isolate the virus, while the vaccine made from the synthetic virus would cost only USD 100.00 in comparison.

LINK(in portuguese)

Sorry, but I couldn't find an english version of this news yet, since it is very recent and coming from a portuguese speaking country. I tried my best in translating the most important parts into this post for you guys to read it.


[edit on 27-5-2010 by henriquefd]

I am sure they know what they are doing and at least they are doing this in good nature. Let's just hope no one makes an accident and cause a crazy mutant.

Im amazed by the things that people can do. Just trying to imagine where you would even start...replicating DNA and putting it together...I can barely work a microscope.
Crazy.
Hopefully some good coms of this!

Im amazed by the things that people can do. Just trying to imagine where you would even start...replicating DNA and putting it together...I can barely work a microscope.
Crazy.
Hopefully some good coms of this!

Im amazed by the things that people can do. Just trying to imagine where you would even start...replicating DNA and putting it together...I can barely work a microscope.
Crazy.
Hopefully some good comes of this!

[edit on 28-5-2010 by mooseinhisglory]

Oh, good.
We have a shortage of synthetic viruses with a 100% mortality rate, and this will go a long way toward closing the gap...
Dear gawd.

reply to post by henriquefd

Cool, eh? Scientists have created HIV in a lab, and this can lead to a cure.
I like it.

Still, though, I'm not sure about the Green Tailed Monkey and the Hatian Homosexuals that have been claimed to be the cause of this virus.

I still believe this was caused by laboratory experiments. Of course, I also believe the CIA is involved with the import of drugs into the USA. I guess I am just crazy.

Look at history. Inject black people in the military with an STD. For what?
Look at '___' being given, to unsuspecting military personnel.

I remember in the 1950's when viruses were spread via airplanes along the east coast of the U.S. just to see, how do things spread.

I'm supposed to believe this stuff has stopped now?

ormWhen I went to Desert Shield and then was in Desert Storm. there was an old veteran trying to tell the rest of us. don't go! The government will screw you!

He was right. I was sick soon after that war and am still sick.

Well, Brazil is on the radar, now. Hillary is proclaiming what a great place this is. Hmmm........Maybe a cure for HIV? Wow! Whoda thunkit?

sorry for the rambling. Can you not see the crap?

And when you die, at least, maybe, you might have some sort of insight into who is killing you.

Originally posted by TheComedian
Oh, good.
We have a shortage of synthetic viruses with a 100% mortality rate, and this will go a long way toward closing the gap...
Dear gawd.

I have to agree with the comedian here. It's not like there are a bzillion poor and starving people in Brazil, and it's not that they have habitually provided highly technical solutions to a variety of medical issues in the past or anything.

I mean, I'm not trying to bash them or be prejudiced or anything, I would just feel a whole lot more comfortable with maybe the Swiss or the Germans working on 100% fatal virus source like this. Sure it might be profiling a bit, but c'mon I have the impression that we are going to see a huge outbreak in aids real soon in Brazil or an adjacent country.

..Ex

Originally posted by v3_exceed


I have to agree with the comedian here. It's not like there are a bzillion poor and starving people in Brazil, and it's not that they have habitually provided highly technical solutions to a variety of medical issues in the past or anything.

Yeah..let's leave that to say...uh...the British perhaps?
You see how well they handle stuff lately.

Brazil has very high standards in scientific research.
A lot of countries have different areas in which they excel or at least are very good at doing.

reply to post by v3_exceed


So you think Brazil isn't competent enough to handle an artificial virus? You think the researchers are so dumb that they can accidentaly spread the virus? You think those people work on their basements or in the top of a favela?

No. They are great researchers of federal universities working in well equipped labs and they are fully capable of handling what they do there!

They are doing a great thing to the world and your naive concept of a third world country makes you discredit their research... What's wrong with you?

My friend, I hope that someday you learn more before telling your opinion and how to respect researches and discoveries from other countries without biased eyes.

Thanks.