Oops, nope, wrong one.
Posted on 03/21/2008 4:01:55 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
Researchers at University of Cape Town in South Africa reported Friday the discovery of a variation of an immunity gene that weakens the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), slowing down the progression of AIDS and making the virus less potent if transmitted to others.
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS, and like all viruses it must invade and takeover cells in order to replicate itself. But in order for the virus to successfully hijack the cell, it must evade several genes, including an immunity virus named HLA.
"Some people have versions of the HLA gene that are known to force HIV to tolerate mutations that damage its ability to reproduce," wrote Carolyn Williamson and Salim Abdool Karim at the Centre for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa, in a report about the study.
Williamson, who led the study, told Reuters the weaker virus results in slower disease progression in these people. It now appears this weakened virus may get transmitted and act the same way in others, even those without the protective HLA genes, she said.
"The significant difference to other studies is that this is showing the actual benefit is due to the genetic composition of the virus," said Williamson, an AIDS researcher at the University of Cape Town.
"This study shows you can have a survival advantage with a virus containing specific genetic signatures associated with lower replication."
Williamson’s study tracked 21 women without the protective form of HLA who were recently infected with the weakened HIV strain. The researchers discovered these women had much lower levels of HIV in their bodies than those who carried a form of HIV that had not mutated in such a way.
(Excerpt) Read more at redorbit.com ...
or they could just practice abstinence and not have to worry about it.
Nice try! HIV is a harmless, ubiquitous 9Kilobase retrovirus and does NOT cause ACQUIRED Immune Disease. AIDs is NOT sexually transmitted, never has been, and never will be. The so-called “test” for HIV is an ANTIBODY test, not an Antigen test. Enough of this stupid Homo scam!
Forget /sarc ?
Oops, nope, wrong one.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.