Engineered Stem Cells Seek out and Kill HIV in Living Mice

Engineered Stem Cells Seek out and Kill HIV in Living Mice

www.sciencedaily.com

ScienceDaily (Apr. 12, 2012) — Expanding on previous research providing proof-of-principle that human stem cells can be genetically engineered into HIV-fighting cells, a team of UCLA researchers have now demonstrated that these cells can actually attack HIV-infected cells in a living organism.

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www.sciencedaily.com

I'm all in favor of finding ways to minimize pain and suffering. I do realize there are those among us that believe there is some moral or ethically diametrically charged arguement to be made, and I'm all in favor of watching and/or participating in such a discussion. However, my knowledge is limited and so long as the end result is less pain and less suffering than that of the alternatives currently available, I am leaning towards in favor of stem cell research, but admittingly could learn more about it.

www.sciencedaily.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by ILikeStars




S&F my fellow ATS member good find.

I am happy to hear that someone is finding a way to destroy the weaponized man-made HIV virus.

Thanks Rats! We appreciate your sacrifice.

Yup even with things like this showing the promise of stem cell research some other country will be getting the patents. Because the bible thumpers keep doing everything to hold it back here in the states. Let's hope these doctors can find other diseases to cure using this.

Wow, that's awesome. On the stem-cell debate, I didn't know there still was a debate? I thought the whole stem-cell controversy was over because I hadn't heard anything about it since Bush left office. Is the fundamentalist right still attacking and de-railing stem-cell research?

I can't wait. Let the sexual revolution begin!!

Also.. in time, these stem cells can be designed to give us an almost superhuman immune system

This is massive news, I'm surprised at the low number of flags received so far.

Modern science is incredible. Does anyone know what type of stem cells were used?

reply to post by FlyInTheOintment

In this current study, the researchers similarly engineered human blood stem cells and found that they can form mature T cells that can attack HIV in tissues where the virus resides and replicates.

From the OP's link.
On general topic, this is pretty cool however it is not the cure. At least yet. The virus has high mutations rate and every individual is different so this technique will need to tune the cells per individual (or at least for groups of individuals) - which is very expensive, and according to the article it does not kill the virus completely. Just lowers its "concentration" and its effects on immune system.

A star for you for sharing this! (I can't flag yet).

This is potentially wonderful news and hopefully marks the beginning stages of a cure in humans.

reply to post by ILikeStars


I hope to see in my lifetime stem cells cure all forms of Human ailments.. from broken spinal cords to cancers and HIV..

If we can fund stem cell research I believe they are even the key to ending old age. Literally the fountain of youth... the possibilities are endless. If only ignorant fools didn't stand in the way of research.

how do mice even get Human immunodefficiency virus?

previous studies of HIV even in our closely related chimps, do not mean much for treatment in humans so how do they do so with mice to men?

Originally posted by BiggerPicture
how do mice even get Human immunodefficiency virus?

Having unsafe sex with a human who has the HIV virus?

Or maybe scientists and researchers infected them with it.

previous studies of HIV even in our closely related chimps, do not mean much for treatment in humans so how do they do so with mice to men?

You and I are probably short a few degrees to properly understand and comprehend all of it, admittingly. I do not even pretend to know all about this stuff, but I am assuming the human immunodefficiency virus can live in other animals also, and it was observed that the stem cells that transformed into T cells did seek out and destroy the human immunodefficiency virus in the other animals' living tissue.

Cuba developed a possible vaccine

reply to post by Rockpuck


I will respectfully disagree on the good nature of the prospect of ending old age. Why? It's natural to age and to die. It serves a higher purpose, and I believe it is wrong of us to interfere with it. I will speculate as to why, but I do believe it is very clear that aging and dying is a natural process and should then be allowed.

The reason I believe we should allow aging and dying is I believe that is required for the advancement of our species, or at least, it has been the way it has been done. We live our lives then pass on our RNA/DNA code, which is altered slightly during our lives, and our children benefit slightly as we evolve. (Or maybe due to certain things in our environment, some of the changes are negative?) So, the sooner we procreate and pass on our genes, and then ourselves die (to get out of the way for our children once they reach a certain age), the better. In other words, our gene pool is of the highest importance, and we are just carriers for the genes, disposable and necessarily ephemeral beings. Once we raise our children to the point that they can take care of their own children, we need to die and get out of the way. I am borrowing this idea from a book I read. Following suit, our genes do just that -- they kill us off once we reach a certain age: things begin to change. Things that used to cause growth in us (sugar, for example), will kill us after a certain point in our life. It's called genetic pleiotropy. You'll notice Asians that begin to consume the Western diet (high in sugar) are generally taller. This lifestyle in later years will kill you (cancer, heart disease). Diets high in sugar also explains why females are bearing children at younger ages than before. I've kind of gone on a tangent here, though.

(more speculation follows)

So, maybe this is our ultimate purpose, to contribute to the advancement of our species? If it is, then we can easily accept that we are doing our part just by being alive and having kids. No need to torture ourselves with 'moral' this and that to get into some magic place with golden roads. But, then again, I don't know what it would mean for those of us who don't have or intend to have kids.

Hope this doesn't sound too off base.

Sounds like a bunch of witchcraft and sorcery to me!

They should all be shut down and burned at the stake, because my religious morals are more important than saving lives! If you disagree with this, not only are you clearly wrong, but you're an anti-american terrorist!

I'm gonna check the facts behind this before I get to happy

Its known that the T cells are supposed to be the hunt and destroy party in the immune system, however after certain time, it is the HIV that attacks these cells, destroying them and leaving us with no immune system, I'd like to understand how they bi-passed the HIV from infecting the T cells.....sorry if I missed it and its obvious...

CD8 (cluster of differentiation 8) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that serves as a co-receptor for the T cell receptor (TCR). Like the TCR, CD8 binds to a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule, but is specific for the class I MHC protein.[2] There are two isoforms of the protein, alpha and beta, each encoded by a different gene. In humans, both genes are located on chromosome 2 in position 2p12.

"The immune system is a system within all vertebrates (animals with a backbone) which in general terms, is comprised of two important cell types: the B-cell and the T-cell. The B-cell is responsible for the production of antibodies (proteins which can bind to specific molecular shapes), and the T-cell (two types) is responsible either for helping the B-cell to make antibodies, or for the killing of damaged or "different" cells (all foreign cells except bacteria) within the body. The two main types of T-cells are the "helper"T-cell and the cytotoxic T-cell. The T-helper population is further divided into those which help B-cells (Th2) and those which help cytotoxic T-cells (Th1). Therefore, in order for a B-cell to do its job requires the biochemical help of Th2 helper T-cells; and, for a cytotoxic T-cell to be able to eliminate a damaged cell (say, a virally-infected cell), requires the biochemical help of a Th1 helper T-cell"

"The effect of HIV on the immune system is the result of a gradual (usually) elimination of the Th1 and Th2 helper T-cell sub-populations."

"The fight between the virus and the immune system for supremacy is continuous. Our body responds to this onslaught through production of more T-cells, some of which mature to become helper T-cells. The virus eventually infects these targets and eliminates them, too. More T-cells are produced; these too become infected, and are killed by the virus. This fight may continue for up to ten years before the body eventually succumbs, apparently because of the inability to any-longer produce T-cells. This loss of helper T-cells finally results in the complete inability of our body to ward-off even the weakest of organisms (all kinds of bacteria and viruses other than HIV) which are normally not ever a problem to us."

JACKPOT!!!!

It is becoming clear that the two helper T-cell types identified only a few years ago may be significantly more important than first assumed. Remember, the Th1 helper-cell helps generate a cytotoxic T-cell response, and the Th2 helper-cell helps generate an antibody response. As it turns out, certain intracellular pathogens primarily elicit a Th2 response in certain in-bred strains of mice, while in a different in-bred mouse strain, the same pathogen primarily elicits a Th1 response. In this example, all mice which respond primarily with antibody (B-cell; Th2 help), die; and, all mice which primarily respond with a cytotoxic T-cell response (Th1 help), live! Such is not the case for every intracellular pathogen - some responses are very balanced with respect to B-cell and cytotoxic T-cell contributions, and others are imbalanced in one or the other direction. The balance in contribution of these two paths to an immune response, appears to not only depend upon the particular infectious organism, but also upon the particular genetic background of the infected animal. Thus, one can imagine that one may be able to find a way to tip the balance towards the most effective response path against a given organism, e.g., either antibody production by B-cells, or development of cytotoxic T-cells. This research is one of the prime areas under investigation with regard to HIV. There are very limited data to date; but, those individuals who have had HIV for a really long time, but have not yet acquired AIDS (there are indeed now a number of such individuals), appear to have their immune response shifted towards the cytotoxic side (Th1 help). This limited information on HIV, in combination with basic research information on several different diseases using animal models (mice), has generated a quick response within the research community. Consequently, there are efforts currently underway to identify the biochemical substances which are involved in directing a response along the Th1 path, and efforts to determine how the immune system might be manipulated to direct a response along a given path. Such experimentation is long and difficult, and requires money, skill, unflinching commitment, and an abiding faith that this problem can be solved.

people.ku.edu...

Copyright John C. Brown, 1995

edit on 14-4-2012 by Sinny because: (no reason given)

That's good news, if it pans out. I wonder what it kills after all the HIV is gone...

reply to post by ILikeStars


Awsome but somehow i have a feeling nothing will come of this research because Big Pharma makes more money selling half assed treatments than developing cures.

reply to post by daynight42


I can understand. But it would ultimately be a choice.. you shouldn't restrict my wish for eternal life just because you have a philosophical issue with it.