The Cure for Cancer Might be: HIV

[ethics]

Via <a href="http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/02/14/1519212">Slashdot</a>:

Wired News has published that Scientists have successfully modified the AIDS-causing HIV in such a way that it can attack metasticized melanoma (cancer cells). The impact of genetic research on cancer research is in and of itself amazing. To mix this with the strategy of using one strong enemy<a href="http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0,1286,66579,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1"> against another is brilliance! </a>Research will continue, obviously, but they are already reporting success on living creatures.

[Coot]

I was listening to a discussion on this over the weekend on the television, maybe Discovery. The next obstacle they have to overcome is to find a way to target specific cells, rather than shotgun it throughout the entire body. Most of the mice in the studies to date have died of liver complications, but it is promising.

[Violet1966]

Wow!! Great news and makes sense. Imagine...a cure in our time. Very promising sounding :happy:

[Stiofán]

They've been talking about using live viruses to kill caner cells for some time now. They just needed a particularly potent form of a virus, which resists the body's natural immune response long enough to do some good. Therefore, pick a virus with no known cure (HIV) and voila! I believe cancer will either be cured (less likely) or controlled (more likely) in our lifetimes. The optimum situation for the population is a cure, for the pharmaceuticals, a control. Guess which one I'm putting my money on.

[Pyrion]

Indeed. There's really little fiscal incentive to develop cures as opposed to treatments. For a one-shot deal, it'd cost an arm and a leg and few would be able to afford it.