Gene fights off HIV

[slutticus]

<snip>
A gene that partly explains people's different susceptibility to HIV has been identified by US scientists. The discovery may help doctors tailor treatment to patients' genetic make-up.

Researchers know that certain people are naturally resistant to HIV. Some people develop full-blown AIDS several months after infection by the virus, whereas others remain disease-free for decades.

Differences in a gene called CCL3L1 may underlie some of this resistance, say Sunil Ahuja of the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, and his colleagues. They report in Science that individuals carrying extra copies of this gene are less likely to contract HIV or to progress to full-blown AIDS.</>

More... http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050103/full/050103-8.html

[MrMonk]

1. Way to go, Gene!

[Monkie]

2. the gene doesnt fight aids but makes you immune..its scary!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/sci_tech/highlights/011025_ccr5.shtml

"It was present as high as 15% in Scandinavia; it was less in Europe, about 10% in France, Germany and England. Further south it was 5% and in Saudi Arabia and Sub-Saharan Africa it was 0%.’"

in another article i cant refind quickly i read that if both parents had this mutant gene your immunity was far greater than if only one parent had this gene.

conspiracy theorists go insane over this,
the whiter you are the less likely you will get aids.

there has been some speculation in the mainstream press about genetically engineered viruses..

[slutticus]

3. Technically, it's not immunity.

They speculate that having extra copies of the CCL3L1 gene provides more CCL3L1 protein which binds to the CCR5 receptors that HIV binds to.

I wonder if any researchers are studying CCL3L1 as a possible therapeutic for HIV.

Conspiracy theorists will go insane, but the proper response is to realize that if there are some people who are more susceptible to HIV infection, then they need our help that much more.

[Beetwasher]

4. Long Term Non-Progressors

Make up approximately 10% of individuals infected w/ HIV. This could explain their resistance to progression.

You are correct, they are NOT immune, they most certainly ARE infected, however, their viral load seems to be kept in check by their immune systems. Researchers weren't quite sure why and postulate several different hypotheses, including, weak viral strains, lifestyle (i.e. eating healthy and excercise, etc.), or some sort of genetic variant. It could be combination of all of the above, however, the discovery of this possible genetic componenet is certainly good news.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

5. natural gene mutations help us fight it?

If I remember right, when they mapped human DNA, they found that as we spread out from africa and evolved, our genes 'mutated' (the closer your ties to africa, the less mutations in the maternal strain) Have we come across the precursers to Aids in our ancestrial wanderings, and some of these mutations are 'defences' passed on from our ancestors who came in contact?

hmm.