"Stem Cell transplant cures HIV in Berlin patient"

[hachi kid]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/1..._n_796521.html

OH. MY. GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the article should be read with this playing in the background:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLuW-GBaJ8k

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Either that or it just got so bad they couldn't detect it anymore . . .

(hunting for paper)

Edit - apparently don't have a subscription to that one

Hopefully good news in paving the way for a cure

[UnsungZeros]

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

Either that or it just got so bad they couldn't detect it anymore . . .

(hunting for paper)

Edit - apparently don't have a subscription to that one

Hopefully good news in paving the way for a cure

I just downloaded the PDF through my university's library system. I could send it to you if you'd like. PM me.

[MakiSupaStar]

Saw this. Pretty sweet.

[Tsal]

The potential cure by replacing bone marrow stem cells with gene therapy induced HIV resistant cells has been debated for a while. This might be the first case where they used natural HIV resistant cells. Shows a lot of promise for gene therapy solutions.

[SoonerMatt]

Originally Posted by Person on website

It just had to be stem cells

While this is a great and crucial discovery that will potentially save millions of lives, I'm seriously expecting backlash. Not to be a wet blanket, but this fact really is a shame.

[machine gewehr]

As the human race we should be ashamed that we still have non-curable diseases.

This is great news indeed.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by machine gewehr

As the human race we should be ashamed that we still have non-curable diseases.

This is great news indeed.

Why should we be ashamed?

A few things to consider:

Something will always kill us, we stop the diseases that kill us and something else comes along.

The complexity of many diseases is phenomenal;
*HIV - Always changing outer layers and hijacks and hides in our cells.
*Cancer - It is our cells, something having gone wrong with our own body. Effects and treatments are all dependant on what genes have become erroneous.
*Trypanosomiasis - A parasite with an outer layer that is always changing so our immune system can never catch up with it.

Just as some examples, the interactions between our bodies and pathogens is so dynamic that I highly doubt we will ever be free from disease.

/rant

PS - Cheers to UnsungZeros for the paper, going to have a read through it over lunch

[CrispyDelicious]

Originally Posted by SoonerMatt

While this is a great and crucial discovery that will potentially save millions of lives, I'm seriously expecting backlash. Not to be a wet blanket, but this fact really is a shame.

Why would this be an issue? I was under the impression that stem cells can now be harvested from adults, thereby skirting the controversy of harvesting them from embryos.

[Ziltoid]

Pretty amazing.

[spade2you]

We've been "curing" it since the 90's. ....just sayin'.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by CrispyDelicious

Why would this be an issue? I was under the impression that stem cells can now be harvested from adults, thereby skirting the controversy of harvesting them from embryos.

One problem I see is making a mass producable cure, especially a cheap one for third world countries (and heck, even for lightening the burden on our medical institutes).

[Ziltoid]

Well it doesn't means this will not lead to something else, but even for what it might be right now, it's still a great step in the right direction.

[Kyon`]

With all the zombies movie I've been watching lately, I fear this is the start of some crazy super zombie gene!!

But in reality this is amazing and interesting.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by Ziltoid

Well it doesn't means this will not lead to something else, but even for what it might be right now, it's still a great step in the right direction.

Without a doubt, I'm just hoping that it is possible and doesn't take to long to get past other problems

[rr5025]

Originally Posted by CrispyDelicious

Why would this be an issue? I was under the impression that stem cells can now be harvested from adults, thereby skirting the controversy of harvesting them from embryos.

I don't know, I feel like a lot of people have such a negative connotation of stem cells in their head they're not really going to pay attention to the source.

[Clark Dark]

it's great that stem cell research is making strides like this...but didn't this guy have his cancer cured too ???

[PSPookie]

Originally Posted by rr5025

I don't know, I feel like a lot of people have such a negative connotation of stem cells in their head they're not really going to pay attention to the source.

People won't let something silly like facts get in the way of their righteous outrage.

[machine gewehr]

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

Why should we be ashamed?

We,as a race,spend more time/resources in "destroying" than "building".That was my point.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions+ of people that devote their lives to helping solve diseases