Trap for viruses ...

[Duda Jarek]

Standard approach to fight with viruses is to use antigens which search for some specific place on the surface, but the problem is that the capsid is varying rapidly.

What usually doesn't change is that the virus still targets to the same molecules on cell's surface - maybe we should try to use it.

 

For example create empty liposome - water + phospholipid with specific molecules - for example CD4 and some chemokine receptors for HIV.

Now if the virus would catch the bait, it will enter inside and loose its capsid - even if the liposome will be destroyed - it shouldn't longer be a threat or at least much smaller than it would be swimming in capsid.

Eventually we could add inside for example reverse transcriptaze inhibitor or some RNA cutting enzyme.

 

Imagine such stealth liposom with CD4 - it should swim through veins for a few hours catching viruses, than be consumed with it's content by the immune system - perfect scenario.

And remember that every HIV virus has some version of gp120 - should catch the bait...

 

Update:

I was just told on a different forum, that research on something similar - using erythrocytes instead of lyposomes, is already in progress:

http://www.thescienceforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=140400

Edited August 18, 2008 by Duda Jarek
multiple post merged

[Dnasis]

The main problem with HIV is though that it integrates into the T cells gene through its integrase and that each cell has the capability of creating tens of thousands of reverse transcribing viruses. The other problem is not that the virus is free floating but is presented to the T cells via dendritic cells and macrophages through antigen presentation, the virus itself escapes proteolytic processing. The theroy sounds magical however the reality is another matter

[Mr Skeptic]

I've recently read of using a laser at a specific wavelength to destroy HIV. The treatment involves a dialysis machine with the laser inside it.

http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn12368-visible-light-pulses-knock-out-viruses-in-blood.html

[qlue]

That sounds similar to the Royal Raymond Rife beam ray concept. A very much debated device.

[Stefano]

In primis, I am not a scientist, therefore my knowledge regarding biology is somewhat restricted to basic high school science, sorry :S

In secundis, I would like to open up with a relatively easy question. Have scientists finally found a cure for HIV? Most of people will answer NO! However it seems that either they are mistaken or that I am totally out there, for, I keep reading all over the internet how scientists in different countries of the world are finding/have found remedies for HIV.

Here are some of the articles I have read: the first one is about two scientists in Huston, Texas who claimed to have found the weakest link of HIV calling it the Achilles ankle. Basically, given that the virus mutates very quickly they in fact found a part of it which does not change, hence attacking that part prevents the virus to infect new healthy cells. Here's the link:

http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2008-08/2008-08-01-voa59.cfm?CFID=57488499&CFTOKEN=89573885

Furthermore, an american pharmaceutical company, Pancos, is also seeking a cure. The bevirimat (PA-457) seems once again a "new" medicine or "breakthrough" for the battle against the bug. Bevirimat is merely a drug called Maturation Inhibitor, which obstructs a late process of HIV Gag protein, rendering HIV infective cells unable to infect healthy human cells. Here's a link to the website of the company itself: http://www.panacos.com/product_2.htm

Moreover, I have also read about a laser therapy against the bug. Nonetheless I won't go into details about it, for I have not understood that one well enough.

To sum up, my main wondering is: what is truly going on? I mean, it seems that giant steps have been taken by science, but on the other hand I still do not see the white small plastic can with written HIV drug on it, at the local chemist. I understand that new drugs must go through trial levels, and that it takes long, but how long? How many years are we looking at, before we can finally say I would rather get HIV then Gonorrhea!

 

Thank you in advance,

Stefano.

[profescher]

When doing research it is hard not to get very excited if your results suggest you have found a cure or treatment for one of man's many unpleasant afflictions. However, it is a far cry from there to the bedside.

 

An ethics committee must approve new treatments for clinical trials. These involve people not animals. There are usually three stages to determine: side effects, correct dosages, safety, if it is a new antibiotic its spectrum of activiy (How many different microrganisms it acts against.) would be measured, and it's efficacy would be compared to standard antibiotics. If it gets through all three, then there is a licensing process. The three stages of clinical trials can easily take 10 - 15 years in cancer treatments for example, and sometimes after a license has been granted a fourth clinical trail will take place to study any long term side effects. When this process concerns a treatment for a lifetime or killer disease it can take a huge amount of time to be sure someone is cured and that the disease does not redevelop.

Most of the treatments that enter stage one clinical trials don't make it to stage three and sometimes this is due to a lack of people willing to be guinea pigs (I think some of the animal rights groups should volunteer!).

And once the drug is out there, you have to sell it to hospitals (lets face it you're never going to get it in the chemist.) Unfortunately hospitals really struggle for money, so for them to buy it it has to out perform current drugs, or it has to out perform and be cheaper.

With a disease like HIV which is chronic and requires longterm medication, a drug that could cure it should save hospitals money as they won't need to provide several drugs for the lifetime of each patient and would hopefully be marketable.

 

So i guess the answer is: Yes giant leaps are being made and that's exciting, but once they hit clinical trials we are waiting about a decade maybe more, to see if they come out the other side and then if it isn't too expensive, we should be in luck.