View Full Version : Immune to AIDS
Kangaroo
10-31-2002, 06:04 PM
Fascinating show on PBS last evening about Plague survivors from England. Seems a mutation guarantees immunity, and this mutation also guarantees immunity from HIV. They took a guy's blood and exposed it to three thousand times the infectious dosage of HIV and it never infected his blood. Seems this mutation is found in certain European blood lines and is absolutely absent in Africans, East Asians and Indians.
Steve
10-31-2002, 06:06 PM
Amazing! Grounds for an immunization? Let us hope so!
I had read rumors of people who were immune, based on their exposure through certain lifestyle practices and evident lack of illness. Glad to hear there is some truth to it.
ethics
10-31-2002, 06:07 PM
They saw similar things in African Prostitutes. No idea whether that lead anywhere though.
I sure hope they find a vaccine so I can frolik and fornicate like I was meant to.
Sorry for the last bit, been up since 4 AM and it's Thursday. :)
Kangaroo
11-01-2002, 01:43 PM
They are looking at the way the mutation blocks the HIV from entering white blood cells to see if a drug can be produced which mimicks the process. It looks very promising, since it isn't a treatment but an actual vaccine. I don't know if it can be made a cure, although I guess with blood flushing you could theoretically rid the body of viable virii. Probably won't help AIDS but could fix early stage HIV infection.
Yeah, I know it's an old thread, but PBS has a very good write up on this subject.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/case_plague/
cmhbob
10-29-2005, 06:03 PM
Old? More like ancient! :lol:
But thanks for resurrecting this one. Fascinating article. What incredible potential!