NRI scientist makes AIDS breakthrough

[kcmandava]

'Friendly bacteria' found in yoghurt has been genetically modified by a team of US researchers headed by an Indian American to produce a drug that blocks HIV infection.

Although the bacteria has only been tested in a lab dish, scientists are optimistic the technique could provide a cheaper and more effective way of delivering drugs to fight the spread of AIDS, by getting the bugs to live right where the drugs are needed most, Nature magazine reported.

The bacterium (Lactococcus lactis) the researchers have modified naturally produces lactic acid, and so is used to produce cheese and yoghurt. It is also found in some parts of the human anatomy, including the gut and the vagina, where the acid it produces damps down the growth of other, harmful bacteria, Nature said.

Some 'probiotic' yoghurts are loaded with such beasties with the aim of keeping consumers' guts healthy. Bharat Ramratnam, an HIV specialist at Brown Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island, and his colleagues have now altered the genetic make-up of L.lactis so that it generates cyanovirin, a drug that has prevented HIV infection in monkeys and human cells, and is on track for human trials in 2007, the magazine reported.

ANI adds: Cyanovirin binds to sugar molecules attached to the HIV virus, blocking a receptor that HIV uses to infect cells.

"It's basically passive immunization," says Sean Hanniffy, a molecular biologist at the Institute of Food Research, Norwich, UK, and part of the team.Gels containing cyanovirin could afford some protection for women against the transmission of HIV, but since the drug breaks down quickly these would have to be used just before sex. "In some countries there's a reluctance to use these gels frequently," explains Hanniffy.

Because lactic-acid bacteria live naturally in the vagina, one application of a bacterial goop should see the modified bugs thrive there for at least a week, says Hanniffy. "The next step might be to use other bacteria that can survive for even longer," he adds.


http://ia.rediff.com/news/2006/jan/1...q=np&file=.htm

[amitpatel_3001]

Is it true.
Can't say

[superbeowulf]

sorry, for being out of the topic here, but i just have to say it.

why do you have to put the NRI in your title?BRdo you know how much you are putting down the Indians,

(not the native american, although in my mind the colombus was dumb/smart. smart being he found accidently america and dumb by calling the people indian because he was looking for india and thought he found india. D*** A**!),

who are not born in india, but their parents came from india and they love more their culture and heritage more than the person who was born in india. eventhough i was born in india, i love my country as much would anybody else does.

sooo, i guess i made my point.

and by the way cool article.BRi hope the people would find the HIV disease cureBRfast enough, or if human can't find the cure, then i would say that nature has created a system that is human hack proof. once the human gets it nature takes over its course.BRdon't get me wrong. but we also need to think about controlling the population. if we keep coming up with medication to everything, then it will impossible for the earth to support the human life. it will become a burden.

well, that is all. don't want to too much out there.

[mondine]

The title is the title of the article as it appeared on rediff.com ("India's largest news and entertainment service online"), and supplied by the Press Trust of India ("India's largest news service").
I can't imagine that either of those institutions would use a term that was considered to be insulting to Indians abroad.
(And it does refer to country of current residence; not birth.)

[Gooooogler]

and i thought poeple thought special being called NRI
he he ..

[einsteinisgaurav]

lets get back to the topic , i would be happy to provide you some information , though basically , i am copying from a document which already exist here in my pc , im sorry for that , but that is helpful

SPAN class=mainTxtBSince the start of the HIV epidemic, a series of drugs have been developed which significantly prolong the lives of people who are HIV positive/B PCalled "antiretroviral drugs", they block the virus's ability to replicate. PThey can delay the onset of Aids by slowing the loss of patients' CD4+ cells, but they are not a cure. PThere are four main classes of drugs, operating at different points in the HIV cycle: PB1. Entry inhibitors:/B These bind to the proteins on the outside of the HIV virus, stopping it from attaching itself to and entering a CD4+ cell. Only one drug, Fuzeon, has so far reached the market. PB2. Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors:/B These stop the virus from making a copy of its own genes. Nucleosides are the building blocks of the genes. The drugs disrupt the copying process by supplying faulty versions of these building blocks. PB3. Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors:/B These also affect the copying process. They disrupt it by attaching themselves to the enzyme which controls the process, reverse transcriptase. PB4. Protease inhibitors:/B These drugs lock onto another enzyme, protease, which plays a key role in the assembly of the new virus particles. PAntiretroviral drugs should be taken in combination. Usually three different drugs, from at least two different classes, are used at once. PAs HIV mutates, some versions of the virus become resistant to drugs. The chances of keeping it in check are therefore much higher if several drugs are used. PSome people are now becoming infected with strains of the virus which are already resistant to particular drugs. PSPAN class=mainTxtBAs the immune system becomes damaged, it loses its capacity to fight disease and infections can become life-threatening./B PPeople who are HIV positive are more susceptible to widespread diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, pneumonia and shingles. Their vulnerability increases as their CD4+ cell count drops. PHIV patients also become vulnerable to a host of "opportunistic infections". These are infections caused by common bacteria, funguses and parasites which healthy bodies can fight, but which can cause illness and in some cases death in people with damaged immune systems. PSome of these are likely to occur at higher CD4+ counts than others. Most become active below CD4+ counts of 200, the point where Aids develops. PIf full medical care is available, patients can be given drugs which treat and guard against some of these infections, although these are sometimes expensive and can cause side effects. PSPAN class=mainTxtBAbout half of people who contract HIV suffer flu-like symptoms within the first two to four weeks of infection./B PThese include fevers, fatigue and rashes, sore joints, headaches and swollen lymph nodes. PThe graph on the right shows the course of a typical HIV infection over time. The CD4+ cell count is the number of CD4+ cells per cubic millimetre of blood, and decreases as the virus progresses. PA healthy immune system has 600 – 1200 cells per cubic millimetre of blood. If this drops as low as 200, the patient is considered to have Aids. PThe "viral load" is the number of virus particles per millilitre of blood. Initially, this peaks as the virus replicates rapidly in the bloodstream. PWithin six to twelve weeks of infection, the body starts producing a specific type of antibody, or disease-fighting protein. PWhile not very effective in fighting the virus, the antibody is a reliable indicator of whether someone is infected. PThe most common HIV test detects the antibodies. This means that a person may infect others as soon as he or she becomes infected, but will not test positive for several weeks. PSome people with HIV may live for several years before developing Aids, feeling healthy and with no outward signs of the virus. POthers may suffer symptoms such as weight loss, fevers and sweats, frequent yeast infections, rashes and short-term memory loss while living with HIV. [/color][/color][/color]

[einsteinisgaurav]

SPAN class=mainTxtBHIV is present in the blood, sexual fluids and breast milk of people who are infected with the virus./B PIt is passed on when these infected fluids get into another person's system. PYou can contract HIV by:BRLIHaving unprotected sexual intercourse with someone who is infected LISharing needles or body piercing equipment with someone who is infected LIBeing given a transfusion of infected blood LIAllowing infected fluids to get into a cut or sore anywhere on your body LIBabies born to HIV positive women can be infected during pregnancy and birth, or through breast feeding PHIV is present in the saliva of an infected person, but not in quantities sufficient to transmit infection. Once infected fluids have dried, the risk of them transmitting the virus is considered to be close to zero. PThe key methods of preventing the transmission of HIV are by not having sex with anyone who is, or may be, HIV positive, or by using latex condoms. PLatex condoms are essentially impermeable to HIV-sized particles. If used properly and consistently, they are considered highly effective in reducing the risk of transmission – although no protective method other than abstinence is 100% safe. PInjecting drug users can reduce the risk of contracting HIV by not sharing needles/LI
PSPAN class=mainTxtBHIV - the Human Immunodeficiency Virus - targets the immune system, the very system which would normally defend the body against infections./B PThe virus attacks a particular type of white blood cells called CD4+ cells. It hijacks the cell, inserts its own genes into the cell's DNA and uses it to manufacture more virus particles. These go on to infect other cells. PThe CD4+ host cells eventually die, although scientists do not know exactly how. PThe body's ability to fight diseases decreases as the number of CD4+ cells drops, until it reaches a critical point at which the patient is said to have Aids - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. PHIV is a particular kind of virus – a retrovirus. While simpler than ordinary viruses, retroviruses tend to be harder to defeat. PThey embed their genes into the DNA of the cells they target, so that any new cells that the host cell produces also contain the virus genes. PRetroviruses also copy their genes into the target cell with a high level of error. In combination with HIV's high replication rate, this means the virus mutates at speed as it spreads. PFurthermore, the "envelope" the HIV virus particle is contained inside is made of the same material as some human cells, making it difficult for the immune system to distinguish between virus particles and healthy cells. [/color]SPAN class=mainTxtBHIV is the virus which causes the fatal disease of the immune system, Aids./B PAt least 28 million people worldwide have died from Aids – their bodies' defence systems ravaged by the HIV virus to the point where everyday infections become life-threatening. PMore than 20 years since HIV was first recognised, there remains no vaccine against HIV and no cure for Aids, although a new generation of drugs has dramatically extended the life expectancy of those who contract HIV. [/color][/color]

[einsteinisgaurav]

[img=http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/148/howhivreplicates3209oo.th.gif]

i hope u all can see this , and the things here are quite easy to understand

[einsteinisgaurav]

this is an image of the hiv infected cell

[img=http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/7906/defaultimg3204wc.th.jpg]

[superbeowulf]

WOW!
not a scientist, but understood almost the whole thing.