Holy Shit, Did CHOP Just Cure AIDS?

[Quixon]

Not sure if any of this info has been posted already. It just came up on Google News so I figured I would share.

HIV Vaccine From Engineered Plants: Mice Form Antibodies Against HIV Protein

ScienceDaily (May 18, 2009) — A research team at Örebro University in Sweden has succeeded in changing the genes in plants so they can function as a vaccine against HIV. Through gene modification the plants have acquired the capacity to produce a protein that is part of the virus, and the project has taken a giant step forward in that mice that have been fed the plants have reacted and formed antibodies against the protein.

The findings are presented in a new academic dissertation at the university.

To produce drugs with the help of plants is a rapidly growing research field that offers new potential to combat diseases. At Örebro University researchers have the goal of developing inexpensive and safe protection against HIV, in the form of plants that contain a vaccine against the virus and can be cultivated all over the world. If they succeed, it will be difficult to exaggerate the significance of this for millions of people around the world, not least in the poorest countries.

“A major problem with the HIV virus is that it mutates rapidly and therefore exists in several different variants. In other words, it’s not possible to create an effective vaccine that is based on the entire virus. Moreover, this would be far too risky. Instead, we have selected a protein, p24, that exists in all HIV viruses and looks roughly the same in the various virus lines,” says Ingrid Lindh, author of the dissertation.

To get plants to produce the p24 protein, the gene that underlies the process must be a part of their own genetic make-up, but since it’s impossible to transfer the gene directly from the virus to the plant, the researchers had to take a detour. This was done by first placing the gene into a bacterium that could then transmit it to the plants. The attempt succeeded; the plants produced p24 and also passed on this ability to their offspring.

In the next phase, mice were fed with the p24 plants, and these trials also proved to be successful. The mice’s immune defense reacted just as the researchers had hoped, producing antibodies against the protein. In other words, this functioned as a vaccine. This raises hopes that a similar reaction in humans would make them immune to HIV.

“It is highly probable that the human immune system will respond in the same manner, but this is not to say that this would be sufficient to provide complete protection.”

To increase the potency of the vaccine, these scientists are therefore going to add more HIV proteins together with other compounds that reinforce the body’s reaction to HIV-specific proteins. In parallel with this, they will work to select a suitable vegetable that is easy to cultivate in different climates and is readily accepted in different cultures. Thus far, thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) has been used as an experimental plant, a common wild plant that is related to mustard and cabbage and has the great advantage of being well mapped genetically.

“The carrot is a good candidate for producing an edible vaccine, not least because it can be eaten raw, which reduces the risk of the proteins being destroyed by heating. What’s more, it’s a biennial, which means that it doesn’t go to seed the first year, making it easier to ensure that it doesn’t spread its genes to other plants close by,” explains Ingrid Lindh.

Post the wrong title -_- the CHOP article is from here:
http://www.philebrity.com/2009/05/18...ust-cure-aids/

[quannum]

I thought this was gonna be about the slapchop.

/sad

[Takedown3]

cure cancer then i'll be impressed

[Blabj]

Aids carrots... cool!

[Vajra]

Man...this is some nice titting story man omg wow I'm astonished! I hope someone with AIDS is willing to let these guys test the vaccine in them...I mean they'll be making trillions if this works on humans holy shit!

[Correction]

Hooray! Unprotected anal sex for all!

[Vajra]

Here's some sorta new info on it sorta,

CHOP Docs Develop HIV Gene


by KYW's Kim Glovas

A researcher at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia has come up with a potential gene to fight the HIV virus. The research was published in the online journal Nature Medicine.

Dr. Philip Johnson, chief scientific officer at Children's Hospital, says the traditional vaccine model wasn't working. So he and his team came up with a way around that, by putting the virus into a muscle:

"Your muscle cells, we deposit the vaccine, it's actually a gene, and it makes a protein, and in this case, interferes with a virus and your muscles make the protein. It actually gets into the circulation, and there it does it's thing, it blocks the virus from infecting."

Johnson says the research has been going on for about 10 years and has been used in mice and has now proved effective in monkeys. The team of researchers is now preparing for human trials to see if humans react similarly to the monkey trials.

They've already tested it on monkeys and it proves effective, they're preparing for human trials now :D.

[Kajii]

Hooray! Unprotected anal sex for all!

everybody wins!

[Blabj]

Man...this is some nice titting story man omg wow I'm astonished! I hope someone with AIDS is willing to let these guys test the vaccine in them...I mean they'll be making trillions if this works on humans holy shit!

The fact that they're aiming to be able to grow it in plants so that 3rd world countries can have a supply of vaccine shows that "making trillions" isn't exactly what they want to come of this.

[Seraph]

The fact that they're aiming to be able to grow it in plants so that 3rd world countries can have a supply of vaccine shows that "making trillions" isn't exactly what they want to come of this.

They will be able to make an insane amount of money without charging a ton for their work. If this actually works, those guys will be set for life with grants and prize money.

I am seriously impressed (and a little worried) about the effectiveness of their gene manipulation techniques.

[Kajii]

^Cure AIDs, create zombies? Can only hope...

[Ragnell]

I thought this was gonna be about the slapchop.

/sad

^

[Norelco]

I'm hoping that there's only one plant capable of properly generating this HIV gene and that it's the cannabis plant.

[Dimmauk]

I'm hoping that there's only one plant capable of properly generating this HIV gene and that it's the cannabis plant.

LOL, we can only hope.

[Elesirdur]

Good find, thanks for posting. Not only does this show some really promising breakthroughs in fighting HIV/AIDS, but it's displaying some interesting lateral thinking.

[Aselin]

That's amazing, I hope this works out because I have read other vaccine attempts fail. And, to be able to reproduce this in a vegetable means the delivery is cheap and easy to mass produce. That would also mean countries like Africa most especially who have neither the money or resources to afford expensive medication and medical treatment can get this.

[Olo401]

I'm hoping that there's only one plant capable of properly generating this HIV gene and that it's the cannabis plant.

/thread

[thestalkmore]

And here I was hoping that AIDS would wipe out Africa. BUMMER

[Olo401]

Seriously tho.. let's hope that this leads to a major breakthrough and a cure for this disease.

[guartz]

They should put it in the broccoli, so my mom can be right.