Indian doc develops enzyme that can destroy HIV

[Dion]

http://ibnlive.com/news/indian-doc-d.../48654-17.html

Bangalore: Dr Indrani Sarkar has has every reason to be excited. Her PhD thesis, which started in 2002 at the Max Planck Institute in Dresden, Germany, has thrown open the doors for developing enzymes that can destroy the dreaded Human Immuno-deficiency Virus or HIV within infected cells permanently.

Indrani and a team of scientists have developed an enzyme called Tre. Tre is a custom enzyme capable of detecting, recognising and destroying HIV, much like a pair of molecular scissors.

"In laymans terms, it's an engineered enzyme which recognises sequences in the HIV genome that is duplicated, integrated virus and by the process of recombination, it cuts out the virus from the genome," says she. The biggest challenge with treating HIV today is that the virus becomes dormant and often develops resistance to HIV drugs.

[peter12]

If this develops into something, this would easily be the biggest medical breakthrough in the history of humankind. Easily.

[GrrlGoalie33]

If this technology is developed, and is affordable, the world as we know it will never be the same again.

The trick is making it affordable enough to use in developing countries where HIV/AIDS is probably the biggest killer.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by Frankster

The trick is making it affordable enough to use in developing countries where HIV/AIDS is probably the biggest killer.

If the G8 countries would combine their African AID money instead of wastefully spending it on poor/doomed-to-fail/corrupt projects they could easily afford it.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

I'll wait this this gets independantly verfied before we get into bouquet mode ... South Korean cloning anyone?

[BlackArcher101]

Somehere a bar owner on Whyte rejoices.

[CaptainCrunch]

That would be a huge breakthrough if it does work. The fact is that mankind hasn't really found a definate cure for any viral diseases except to fortify the body and hope the immune system takes over.

the problem with the HIV virus, is like the cold virus it has a shifting antigen on its coating which means that it distinctly changes itself with every new generation which means that your immune system can't keep up and gets worn out.

If she can create a enzyme for the aids virus, there's no reason why they can't do the same for the flu, the cold and other viral illnesses.

[Wookie]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

That would be a huge breakthrough if it does work. The fact is that mankind hasn't really found a definate cure for any viral diseases except to fortify the body and hope the immune system takes over.

the problem with the HIV virus, is like the cold virus it has a shifting antigen on its coating which means that it distinctly changes itself with every new generation which means that your immune system can't keep up and gets worn out.

If she can create a enzyme for the aids virus, there's no reason why they can't do the same for the flu, the cold and other viral illnesses.

herpes

[jonesy]

I hope the condom companies don't take her out.

[Juventus3]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

Somehere a bar owner on Whyte rejoices.

This is why i thank god for calgarypuck everynight before bed.

[arsenal]

Originally Posted by jonesy

I hope the condom companies don't take her out.

There are still a lot of things out there that condoms protect against. The worst virus being pregnancy.. Once we figure a way to stop that, then there will be no use for condom companies

And yes, I am just joking...

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by arsenal

There are still a lot of things out there that condoms protect against. The worst virus being pregnancy.. Once we figure a way to stop that, then there will be no use for condom companies

And yes, I am just joking...

Everyone knows that pulling out is just as effective.

But really, I'm going to wait until this gets further along before I hail it as a cure. But it's good to hear that they are making progress. And besides I thought there was already a cure.

[mykalberta]

Originally Posted by Addick

If the G8 countries would combine their African AID money instead of wastefully spending it on poor/doomed-to-fail/corrupt projects they could easily afford it.

Or the people in those poor African countries could take personal responsibility for their actions and stop humping everything that moves.

MYK

[TheyCallMeBruce]

If this is true and it works. Indrani Sarkar will become a household name.

[Clever_Iggy]

I'll believe this when I see it verified. You see new "breakthroughs" on the news all the time for cancer, AIDS, etc...

It would be a massive medical accomplishment - although I would have hoped for cancer or MS cure first...

[arsenal]

So the next question is. If it is verified through peers, independently, does it then go through the standard time frame that every other prescription drug goes through? Or does it get fast tracked to public use in a matter of months or a couple years?

[Kybosh]

They sort of allude to it in the article at the end but I wonder at what stage this discovery is at. For instance, countless compounds or enzymes have shown a lot of great activity for many things in petrie dishes. The problem is translating these things into in vitro successes. This is a very common road block in drug development and unfortunately many proteins have problems here (an enzyme is a protein FYI).

[Kybosh]

Originally Posted by arsenal

So the next question is. If it is verified through peers, independently, does it then go through the standard time frame that every other prescription drug goes through? Or does it get fast tracked to public use in a matter of months or a couple years?

No, drug development doesn't have a "fast track" that I'm aware of. First, there is all the preclinical tests (which I think is where this thing is just starting). Then there are three major steps in clinical trials and each step can take years. Finally, there must be all the approvals from all the big agencies like FDA. All this is also at the mercy of the company that is manufacturing as well. Unfortunately, most people that need an HIV drug can't easily afford it. Even if a drug is made a huge priority I would still expect it to take at least 10 years assuming it passes all tests.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by peter12

If this develops into something, this would easily be the biggest medical breakthrough in the history of humankind. Easily.

Guess you've never heard of Penicillin.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Guess you've never heard of Penicillin.

seconded, atleast at this point antibiotics have been a MUCH more important discovery.