Possible cure for AIDS

[burton2019]

A little red-eyed frog could hold the key to ending the scourge of AIDS.
Scientists have found that a chemical in the skin of the Australian red-eyed tree frog can block infection by HIV - the virus that causes AIDS - by destroying the viral particles.

They hope further research could lead to an 'after-exposure' lotion to protect against HIV and AIDS.

Have your say » The chemical is part of the 21/ 2in-long frog's defences. Special glands on their skin produce and store packets of the compound, which is released when they are injured or alarmed and acts to protect them from infection by killing fungi, bacteria and viruses.

The ability to target HIV was discovered when researchers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, decided to investigate whether the chemical was effective against viruses that infect humans.

In tests using human immune system cells, the chemical killed HIV particles but left the immune cells unharmed. It is thought to work by damaging the membrane of each viral particle, either by punching holes which cause it to fall apart, or through a 'detergent effect' which

breaks apart fatty molecules in the membrane.

Research leader Dr Scott Van-Compernolle said: 'There are lots of substances which destroy viruses but the trick is finding one that doesn't also destroy the membrane of our cells. That is why these frog peptides are unique.'

Further tests showed the chemical could stop the virus being passed between cells, thus blocking

infection. The scientists infected cells with HIV, treated them with the frog chemical and then exposed them to healthy cells. The virus appeared to have vanished.

They hope it will be possible to develop a cream to target infected cells. Dr VanCompernolle said: 'It seems it would work really well in just the way the frogs use it - as a cream. We envisage something prophylactic so if you were exposed to

HIV through unprotected sex, you could use this cream or a suppository to give you a fairly high dose of the proteins in the region where you thought the virus might be.'

It could still be effective if used hours after exposure. 'We showed you can successfully treat the infected cells up to eight hours after they were exposed to the virus,' said Dr VanCompernolle. 'The virus has already got in those cells but this is still able to block the infection.' The scientists have now won a grant from the American Foundation for AIDS Research to continue the work. Its director of research, Dr Rowena Johnston, said no creams exist which could be applied to the body after exposure to HIV.

But she added: 'The first generation of these products is now not far from being developed. They could be applied prior to sex or perhaps taken in the same way as the contraceptive pill.

'Alternatively, if the woman is HIV positive, she could protect her partner from infection. It would be a fantastic tool for HIV prevention. We are so far from having an AIDS vaccine, we are not going to wait around for 15 years and do nothing in the meantime.'

But destruction of the rainforest in north Queensland, Australia, means there are declining numbers of red-eyed tree frogs, which have bright green backs, yellow sides, a cream belly and orange inside legs.

Dr VanCompernolle said: 'These frogs have evolved over millions of years to produce these peptides. They have already tested them for us, to fight their own viruses and bacteria. Around the world there are huge and rapid declines in the numbers of amphibian species. When we don't take care of the ecosystems we have on the planet we risk losing something like this.'

[imported_hhstigerfan]

They probably already have a cure for AIDS and probably for dozens of other diseases. Is it more profitable for pharmacuetical companies to sell drugs to AIDS patients that will merely supress the disease but not cure it or sell a drug that cures the disease completely? I heard somewhere that Magic Johnson takes like 100 pills a day to keep his AIDS symptoms supressed. Same thing with cancer. Will the drug companies make more money off of people taking chemo and medications for years and years or from taking a drug that cures the disease once and for all?

[imported_mega]

ahhh, youre a wise man hhs, my sentiments as well.

[imported_hhstigerfan]

Thats just the price we all pay for living in a capitalist country. Money will ALWAYS be more important than human beings. Don't get me wrong, our system isn't perfect, but its still better than a lot of other countries.

[imported_MoonlightGraham]

THAT IS WHY YOU TEST ON ANIMALS

look how many disease have been curied by testing on animals, someone really does need to shut pam and tommy lee up. they are entertainers not scientist.

[imported_Mercury]

The medications that Magic Johnson takes are available to anyone, if they have the money to pay for them. Magic's medication costs a few thousand dollars a day...and that's a little bit too much money for some people to pay. Magic can pay for these medications, anyone that doesn't have that cash can't. It's not like he has some miracle drugs that are being kept from the market, they are on the market for people who can afford them.

[imported_mega]

right, but when millions of people are dying, its ridiculous that you have to die because you cant afford to live. I understand R and D for pharm companies costs a fortune but its terrible that the costs of drugs is so much because they are so easy to make after they are developed. This is why the government needs to step in, but it wont happen because the industry is too important to the economy of the govt. Which means millions get to die.

[imported_hhstigerfan]

Exactly my point. MJ has the money to pay for all of these drugs. What about people who can't afford it? And what about the people who can afford it but just barely and they will have to keep taking that stuff for however long they live? The drug companies make a killing for selling people these "cures" and now I wonder what would happen to their profits if you didn't have to take so much medication and it acutally cured you of the virus? Heck, what would happen if we eliminated cancer and AIDS entirely? Hell yeah, I'm sure they would love that! If people got sick less, that would cut into their profits too much.

I definitely agree with your first post hhstigerfan. I don't think they would release the cure because they wouldn't make money off the drugs they could sell is they only supressed it.

[imported_Mercury]

It's just like poverty...people who are living in poverty can't afford food so they starve to death. All Magic is doing is prolonging his life....he is not saving his life or curing his disease. He will still die from his disease, unless he gets into an accident or whatever else. It is unfortunate that the medications costs so much but it's not like they inflate the price of the medications to make it unattainable to the general public, it's the actual costs of the pill therapy he uses to supress his symptoms. I don't think it's that the companies are thinking, oh let's make these medications so expensive that only millionaries can afford it, because that would be defeating the point of developing and drug and putting it on the market. If you put a drug on the market, you want as many people as possible to take it. The thing about Magic's medication is that it really is that expensive to make the drugs and because he is on such a high dosage, it costs thousands. Do you see what I'm saying? It's probably relatively the same drugs that are out on the market that the general public can afford but he takes such a large quantity of them because he can afford to pay for it.