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Phlip
11-18-2008, 06:53 AM
AIDS Patient Reportedly Cured (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/13/aids-patient-reportedly-c_n_143762.html)

BERLIN — An American man who suffered from AIDS appears to have been cured of the disease 20 months after receiving a targeted bone marrow transplant normally used to fight leukemia, his doctors said.

While researchers _ and the doctors themselves _ caution that the case might be no more than a fluke, others say it may inspire a greater interest in gene therapy to fight the disease that claims 2 million lives each year. The virus has infected 33 million people worldwide.

Dr. Gero Huetter said Wedneday his 42-year-old patient, an American living in Berlin who was not identified, had been infected with the AIDS virus for more than a decade. But 20 months after undergoing a transplant of genetically selected bone marrow, he no longer shows signs of carrying the virus.

"We waited every day for a bad reading," Huetter said.

It has not come. Researchers at Berlin's Charite hospital and medical school say tests on his bone marrow, blood and other organ tissues have all been clean.

However, Dr. Andrew Badley, director of the HIV and immunology research lab at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said those tests have probably not been extensive enough.

"A lot more scrutiny from a lot of different biological samples would be required to say it's not present," Badley said.

This isn't the first time marrow transplants have been attempted for treating AIDS or HIV infection. In 1999, an article in the journal Medical Hypotheses reviewed the results of 32 attempts reported between 1982 and 1996. In two cases, HIV was apparently eradicated, the review reported.

Huetter's patient was under treatment at Charite for both AIDS and leukemia, which developed unrelated to HIV.

As Huetter _ who is a hematologist, not an HIV specialist _ prepared to treat the patient's leukemia with a bone marrow transplant, he recalled that some people carry a genetic mutation that seems to make them resistant to HIV infection. If the mutation, called Delta 32, is inherited from both parents, it prevents HIV from attaching itself to cells by blocking CCR5, a receptor that acts as a kind of gateway.

"I read it in 1996, coincidentally," Huetter told reporters at the medical school. "I remembered it and thought it might work."

Roughly one in 1,000 Europeans and Americans have inherited the mutation from both parents, and Huetter set out to find one such person among donors that matched the patient's marrow type. Out of a pool of 80 suitable donors, the 61st person tested carried the proper mutation.

Before the transplant, the patient endured powerful drugs and radiation to kill off his own infected bone marrow cells and disable his immune system _ a treatment fatal to between 20 and 30 percent of recipients.

He was also taken off the potent drugs used to treat his AIDS. Huetter's team feared that the drugs might interfere with the new marrow cells' survival. They risked lowering his defenses in the hopes that the new, mutated cells would reject the virus on their own.

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases in the U.S., said the procedure was too costly and too dangerous to employ as a firstline cure. But he said it could inspire researchers to pursue gene therapy as a means to block or suppress HIV.

"It helps prove the concept that if somehow you can block the expression of CCR5, maybe by gene therapy, you might be able to inhibit the ability of the virus to replicate," Fauci said.

David Roth, a professor of epidemiology and international public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said gene therapy as cheap and effective as current drug treatments is in very early stages of development.

"That's a long way down the line because there may be other negative things that go with that mutation that we don't know about."

Even for the patient in Berlin, the lack of a clear understanding of exactly why his AIDS has disappeared means his future is far from certain.

"The virus is wily," Huetter said. "There could always be a resurgence."

(This version CORRECTS spelling of doctor's name to Huetter throughout.)

S14DB
11-18-2008, 06:59 AM
Magic Johnson...

shmiddy
11-18-2008, 06:59 AM
what a fluke..........

Phlip
11-18-2008, 07:36 AM
Magic Johnson...
Never had it, it was a well played ruse to keep people from wanting to fuck his wife. He needed her to stay right where she was so she wouldn't make off with child support and alimony.

stiizy
11-18-2008, 07:40 AM
^^ Word he was like the 1st one with it and he still aint dead!!

TheWolf
11-18-2008, 08:00 AM
I heard aids was developed by gov't to kill black people...

I should PM phillip to see what he knows bout that.. he's always down...

SHIFT_*grind*
11-18-2008, 08:15 AM
Never had it, it was a well played ruse to keep people from wanting to fuck his wife. He needed her to stay right where she was so she wouldn't make off with child support and alimony.

What!!!! Really? I wondered why he was still around, and figured he was just getting effective treatment to help him "live with it" by keeping it from becoming full-blown AIDS.

Why cure AIDS when you can make tons of money with treatments? :(

Om1kron
11-18-2008, 08:35 AM
I never wear rubbers anyway, that's what a girls mouth is for duh! j/k

Phlip
11-18-2008, 08:40 AM
I heard aids was developed by gov't to kill black people...

I should PM phillip to see what he knows bout that.. he's always down...
Actually, I subscribe to no such theories as it relates to HIV/AIDS, the only one I do relates to the policing of certain drugs inherent to a certain community and not another (http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/49782/the_war_on_drugs_is_really_a_war_on_minorities/), but I won't go there in this thread...

As it relates to what I think it is, I agree with the last point in this post:
What!!!! Really? I wondered why he was still around, and figured he was just getting effective treatment to help him "live with it" by keeping it from becoming full-blown AIDS.

Why cure AIDS when you can make tons of money with treatments? :(

Why would you WANT to cure someone of something when you can have them indebted to you and pawning their entire future off to you so they can "live comfortably" with something that will eventually kill them anyway? The drug industry, the LEGAL one, is one of the largest imports/trades, companies raking in over $100 billion in profits. Patients get to pay for it.

DOOK
11-18-2008, 08:42 AM
Why would you WANT to cure someone of something when you can have them indebted to you and pawning their entire future off to you so they can "live comfortably" with something that will eventually kill them anyway? The drug industry, the LEGAL one, is one of the largest imports and trades, when you look at OTC and prescription medicine, so why would you not want to make good on it?

as someone who has a chronic illness who will one day make me meet my maker, I also feel this way. You can't tell me in a world where we can travel in outer space and traverse the depths of the sea, you can't find a cure for things such as HIV, cancer, crohn's, etc

SHIFT_*grind*
11-18-2008, 09:46 AM
The drug industry, the LEGAL one

The only difference between the two is, the heroine addict initially chose to stick the needle in his arm, while the AIDS baby really couldn't do shit about it to begin with. With junkies, at least they have their own bad decisions partly to blame for the money they're pissing away.

spngr311
11-18-2008, 09:52 AM
You can't tell me in a world where we can travel in outer space...

That part is not as hard as you'd think. I think many diseases could be cured if it was in the best interest of the drug companies, but I also think some diseases will always be hard to pinpoint just because of all the variables involved in the human physiology.

SexPanda
11-18-2008, 10:48 AM
Too bad aids is a retrovirus... When we find a cure, it'll just mutate... like the common cold, but deadly.

speaking of... I think I have a cold. It sucks ass.

HalveBlue
11-18-2008, 12:13 PM
I find the notion of genetic immunization, that the article slightly brushes on, to be more interesting.

Sure, a cure for AIDS is HUGE. But think of the broader implications.

Think of all the immunizations and vaccinations, against all sorts of disease, that you could be administered before you were even born.

A few years ago, when they first unlocked the human genome, I read an article by some guy theorizing that in the future, gene modification would become a huge business.

Although the article focused more on aesthetic applications, I think the author was absolutely right that genetics will become a HUGE market sector.

Think of a company like Merck or Pfizer patenting genetic mutations and selling them as a sort of medicine.

HINT!: If you're smart, you'll start investing in pharmaceuticals. The first of the boomers, the countries largest population segment, will turn 65 in 2011.

Starting with that year, and continuing for at least the next 20 years, the boomers will start retiring, get really old, and start dying.

Mark my words, the health care sector will become the next boom market.

axiomatik
11-18-2008, 12:14 PM
as someone who has a chronic illness who will one day make me meet my maker, I also feel this way. You can't tell me in a world where we can travel in outer space and traverse the depths of the sea, you can't find a cure for things such as HIV, cancer, crohn's, etc

My wife is a Virologist. Finding "cures" to diseases is no simple task.

Matej
11-18-2008, 12:18 PM
Someone's been sleeping on money.

HyperTek
11-18-2008, 12:38 PM
if they do find a cure, you think that will influence people to be more loose whit partners? gettin kinda hard enough to find a decent girl that aint been around if you know what i mean

mRclARK1
11-18-2008, 03:34 PM
My wife is a Virologist. Finding "cures" to diseases is no simple task.

Not to mention there isn't one particular "AIDS" virus that all patients have. There are different strains etc. and (like bacteria) some are beginning to become resistant to certain, previously effective, treatments. One of the beauties (in a strange way) behind a virus's effectiveness, is its simplicity...

drftmark
11-18-2008, 04:00 PM
if they do find a cure, you think that will influence people to be more loose whit partners? gettin kinda hard enough to find a decent girl that aint been around if you know what i mean

This is so true.

It seems like the only way to find a clean girl is to start dating her in 7th grade and hold onto her. Or they are just extremely unattractive.

exitspeed
11-18-2008, 04:14 PM
Now...to find Biggie's killer.

Phlip
11-18-2008, 07:12 PM
Now...to find Biggie's killer.
Not gonna happen, no one investigates the killing of rappers, especially when the police had a hand in it.

twotoes
11-18-2008, 09:04 PM
Someone's been sleeping on money.


lol yup, South Park found the cure months ago!

touge monster
11-18-2008, 10:14 PM
gettin kinda hard enough to find a decent girl that aint been around if you know what i mean

Yeah, I agree with you 100%

J ROK
11-18-2008, 11:30 PM
I have aids. They help me with my diet, and housekeeping, I have aids that do the gardening. Dont really wanna cure them, just payem for what they do.

Phlip
11-19-2008, 06:56 AM
lol yup, South Park found the cure months ago!
They're not just sure, they're HIV positive.

Future240
11-19-2008, 07:53 AM
Yea I read about htis, I dont know if I wanna call bs or not on it

Phlip
11-26-2008, 09:22 AM
Interesting reading:
Math model: HIV can be eliminated in a decade - AIDS- msnbc.com (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27911541/?gt1=43001)

LeftNutOfGowd
11-26-2008, 09:23 AM
I heard aids was developed by gov't to kill black people...

I should PM phillip to see what he knows bout that.. he's always down...

HAahaha I have heard this line before but I forgot where its from

TheWolf
11-26-2008, 09:30 AM
if they do find a cure, you think that will influence people to be more loose whit partners? gettin kinda hard enough to find a decent girl that aint been around if you know what i mean

there's plenty in the church I go to.. seems funny that guys wanted girls to be loose for years.. now they're like :ssex: meh.. wish girls weren't all skanks.. hard to find a girl that hasn't boinked 10 guys before me.. door swings both ways... soon as guys and music quit objectifying women then you will see that change..

this public service announcement has been brought to you by the letter K.

Future240
11-26-2008, 10:49 AM
Interesting reading:
Math model: HIV can be eliminated in a decade - AIDS- msnbc.com (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27911541/?gt1=43001)

Interesting yes, practical no. I think the only way to elminate a disease like that is to find something that kills it, or kill all the beings that possess it.

My solution was registartion. Treat them like bio-weapons. Have them wear something like a black collar that sounds an alarm if taken off. That way people know right off. Eventually the diesese would die off.
On paper it sounds good, but in life, yea that would be on some hitler shit.

I doubt the first one will happen anytime soon, and I dont agree with the first. And my plan would void lots of rights so maybe we all just need blood transfusions

shishcabobers
11-26-2008, 10:53 AM
ZOMG! My anatomy teacher just told my class this.

aziankingz
11-26-2008, 10:53 AM
Didnt any of you watch southpark? The cure for aids is money.. Magic johnson has so much money that it cured him..

Phlip
11-26-2008, 11:19 AM
Didnt any of you watch southpark? The cure for aids is money.. Magic johnson has so much money that it cured him..
No, nobody has seen or mentioned it, especially not these 3 people:

Someone's been sleeping on money.

lol yup, South Park found the cure months ago!

They're not just sure, they're HIV positive.

kouki-gymkhana
11-26-2008, 12:35 PM
OK, I don't post much but I feel obligated to do so at this point. As a physician and someone who has actually done HIV research, this recent development is an amazing accomplishment. There are a few things to point out, however, if you haven't realized them already:
1.) The patient was "cured" of HIV by 1st completely destroying his immune system and bone marrow. He is lucky to have survived this first step as a large portion of patients die from opportunistic infections when they are immunosuppressed.
2.) The probability of finding someone in the marrow registry that is both a CCR5 mutant AND a perfect HLA type is like hitting the lottery while getting bitten by a great white shark. It really is THAT improbable. Will there be some matches? Yes...Will everyone who is infected with HIV find a match? Absofuckinglutely not.
3.) The HIV virus is an incredibly adaptable moiety. There are only a handful of highly conserved gene targets in the HIV code and studies have shown that even when we find drugs that manipulate these targets, the virus can quickly mutate and render the drugs useless.
...........
4.) The notion that the healthcare industry is poised for a tremendous boom due to the aging baby boomer population is boderline preposterous. I prefer to look at it as a true crisis. Yes, these patients will require many medications and the demand placed upon the healthcare system will increase. What most of you fail to realize is that THERE IS NO ONE TO PAY FOR ALL OF IT! Healthcare spending is forecast to reach almost 10% of GDP in the coming decade and unless private premiums go up tremendously or the Medicare/Medicaid systems get huge injections of cash and a complete policy overhaul, the Payer portion of the system will be bankrupt within the next 2 decades.
5.) Healthcare costs are going up at a rate that far exceeds the rate of reimbursement. What does this mean for you? There are fewer and fewer US grads applying to medical school, much less entering the fields of Primary Care (Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, etc.) At this rate, the majority of these vacancies will be filled by foreign medical graduates who some argue are inferiorly trained. Yes, my friends, quality of care will go down.

/end rant....