May 16, 2011
— Ace We've heard this before, of course.
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) — A 45-year-old man now living in the Bay Area may be the first person ever cured of the deadly disease AIDS, the result of the discovery of an apparent HIV immunity gene.Timothy Ray Brown tested positive for HIV back in 1995, but has now entered scientific journals as the first man in world history to have that HIV virus completely eliminated from his body in what doctors call a “functional cure.”
Brown was living in Berlin, Germany back in 2007, dealing with HIV and leukemia, when scientists there gave him a bone marrow stem cell transplant that had astounding results.
“I quit taking my HIV medication the day that I got the transplant and haven’t had to take any sense,” said Brown, who has been dubbed “The Berlin Patient” by the medical community.
What's so special about those stem cells? Possibly a genetic inheritance from the Black Plague:
Sceintists said Brown received stem cells from a donor who was immune to HIV. In fact, about one percent of caucasians are immune to HIV. Some researchers think the immunity gene goes back to the Great Plague: people who survived the plague passed their immunity down and their heirs have it today.
I don't see it explicitly noted in the article but "bone marrow stem cells" indicate to me adult stem cells -- embryos don't have "bone marrow" or bones for that matter -- and so, yeah. Looks like this whole insistence on embryonic stem cells is a bit of political red herring.
On the other hand, if such cells, once identified, can cure major diseases (cancer?), there might be a push to mass-clone them, which means... creating a lot of embryos of the stem cells to produce them on an industrial scale.
Posted by: Ace at
01:13 PM
| Comments (166)
Post contains 307 words, total size 2 kb.
What a horror show that would be.
Posted by: Kensington at May 16, 2011 01:16 PM (mEyVv)
If embryonic stem cell research were finding anything, it wouldn't need to be subsidized by the government.
Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at May 16, 2011 01:16 PM (8y9MW)
Posted by: nevergiveup at May 16, 2011 01:17 PM (i6RpT)
I'm not sure what you're trying to say, but this doesn't make sense to me.
I assume what they'd do is try to immortalize those cell lines, which I think is possible in vitro.
Posted by: Y-not at May 16, 2011 01:18 PM (pW2o8)
Posted by: © Sponge at May 16, 2011 01:18 PM (UK9cE)
Posted by: ObamaCare at May 16, 2011 01:19 PM (mEyVv)
Posted by: Magic Johnson at May 16, 2011 01:20 PM (UvFnc)
Posted by: AoSHQ's *second* worst commenter, DarkLord© at May 16, 2011 01:20 PM (GBXon)
Posted by: BumperStickerist at May 16, 2011 01:20 PM (h6mPj)
Posted by: NC Ref at May 16, 2011 01:21 PM (/izg2)
No it doesn't.
Posted by: Barney Frank at May 16, 2011 05:20 PM (8y9MW)
Damn Skippy!!!!
Posted by: CEO's in the closet everywhere at May 16, 2011 01:21 PM (UK9cE)
Posted by: BumperStickerist at May 16, 2011 01:22 PM (h6mPj)
Posted by: toby928™ at May 16, 2011 01:22 PM (GTbGH)
Posted by: Magic Johnson at May 16, 2011 05:20 PM (UvFnc)
Yeah well you still should have kept your hands off the really young ones.
Posted by: NC Ref at May 16, 2011 01:22 PM (/izg2)
Now can we find a "cancer immunity gene" or a "heart disease immunity gene"?
We have a lot more people dieing of those.
Posted by: Vic at May 16, 2011 01:22 PM (M9Ie6)
Posted by: Samuel Adams at May 16, 2011 01:23 PM (gO39k)
Posted by: NC Ref at May 16, 2011 05:21 PM (/izg2)
You're WRONG!!!! You should be thanking the FDA and Government Subsidies for this!!!!
Did I mention that I killed Bin Laden?
Posted by: JEF at May 16, 2011 01:23 PM (UK9cE)
Meh. Once the genie is out of the bottle, there's not much big Pharma can do but make the money while they can. All it'll take is one match to a celebrity with AIDS from a donor with this immunity gene, and the story breaks out whether big Pharma wants it to or not.
Imagine, if you will, if we found a way to truly cure Parkinson's from adult stem cells and someone gave said treatment to Michael J. Fox. However much HE may be for killing babies, the story of how he was actually cured would get out.
Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at May 16, 2011 01:23 PM (8y9MW)
Posted by: Barak the Hussein at May 16, 2011 01:25 PM (JIDys)
Gee...I am going out tonight to find a Homo that has AIDS to prove the theory !!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Typical Liberal Idiot at May 16, 2011 01:25 PM (48wze)
Okay. I must be missing this joke. Something in the comments from an earlier thread?
Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at May 16, 2011 01:26 PM (8y9MW)
Posted by: Cognitive Dissonance at May 16, 2011 01:27 PM (5Rurq)
“I quit taking my HIV medication the day that I got the transplant and haven’t had to take any sense,” said Brown...
Good copy editing CBS SF.
Posted by: somebody else, not me at May 16, 2011 01:27 PM (7EV/g)
Of course. It's today's daily meme that President Shady Scheme has only one accomplishment to trumpet.
Posted by: Killed Bin Laden at May 16, 2011 01:28 PM (GTbGH)
Ah, got it. So now "he" (via AoSHQ sock-puppetting) is taking credit for every good thing to pad his resume. Gotcha.
Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at May 16, 2011 01:29 PM (8y9MW)
Posted by: Dominique Strauss-Kahn at May 16, 2011 01:29 PM (7EV/g)
So, doesn't that prove that whitey created Church's Fried Chicken to inject the black community with AIDS and kill em off?
Posted by: © Sponge at May 16, 2011 01:29 PM (UK9cE)
Looks like this whole insistence on embryonic stem cells is a bit of political red herring.
Sure it is. There has never, ever, ever been an efficacious treatment or theapy derived from embryonic stem cells.
It's all about keeping killing babies legal.
Posted by: beedubya at May 16, 2011 01:30 PM (AnTyA)
And here I just used "A monogamous sex-life." Silly me, I suppose...
Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at May 16, 2011 01:30 PM (8y9MW)
Posted by: buzzion at May 16, 2011 05:26 PM (oVQFe)
It's just 6 mos. double posting.
Posted by: Tami at May 16, 2011 01:31 PM (VuLos)
Posted by: Ben at May 16, 2011 01:31 PM (wuv1c)
Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at May 16, 2011 05:26 PM (8y9MW)
I believe it's related to the thread earlier that shows JEF's poll numbers back down below 50% and the killing of Bin Laden didn't bounce for too long. Something about him only having that ONE 'accomplishment' in his 3 years so far.
Posted by: © Sponge at May 16, 2011 01:32 PM (UK9cE)
Lycopene.
That's how you keep from getting the AIDS.
Posted by: the Shaggoth at May 16, 2011 05:28 PM (SMGgV)
No, I won't make the obvious watermelon joke. I won't.
And I denounce myself.
Posted by: ErikW at May 16, 2011 01:32 PM (fbjBk)
Posted by: Andrew Sullivan at May 16, 2011 01:33 PM (F/4zf)
Posted by: © Sponge at May 16, 2011 05:18 PM (UK9cE)
I'm wishing can-sah on you!!
Posted by: Scott at May 16, 2011 01:33 PM (BP6Z1)
Destroying the future generations for the benefit of the old. Remind anyone of Medicare, untouchable pension plans, deficit spending?
Posted by: fozzy at May 16, 2011 01:33 PM (lPLCj)
Posted by: toby928™ at May 16, 2011 01:33 PM (GTbGH)
Now we can play chase the bug over and over again.
...and Obama will pay for us to get all better each time
Posted by: idiots in the gay community at May 16, 2011 01:33 PM (AnTyA)
Posted by: Lemon Sulu Franks at May 16, 2011 01:33 PM (3hdsA)
Posted by: Samuel Adams at May 16, 2011 01:33 PM (gO39k)
Posted by: somebody else, not me at May 16, 2011 01:33 PM (7EV/g)
Posted by: logprof bringin' more playground jokes at May 16, 2011 01:34 PM (BP6Z1)
Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at May 16, 2011 05:30 PM (8y9MW)
Well, thank God you're not practicing "diversity" the way the Left would like you to.
Posted by: ErikW at May 16, 2011 01:34 PM (fbjBk)
No, I won't make the obvious watermelon joke. I won't.
And I denounce myself.
Posted by: ErikW at May 16, 2011 05:32 PM (fbjBk)
Watermelon? I thought it was tomatoes that contained lycopene.
Or I'm completely missing something...
Posted by: Tami at May 16, 2011 01:35 PM (VuLos)
Posted by: mare at May 16, 2011 01:35 PM (A98Xu)
Posted by: Andrew Sullivan at May 16, 2011 01:35 PM (3hdsA)
But we all know that Big Pharma and Big Tonsil won't allow cancer or heart disease to be cured, it makes them too much money! Sort of like how how Big Oil and Big, uh, Auto won't allow the internal combustion engine to die when we all know that they have a car that can run on one drop of water hidden away somewhere.....
In the meantime, grease up the glory-holes!!!
Posted by: Citizen of Libtardia at May 16, 2011 01:35 PM (YmPwQ)
Posted by: Barney Frank (D) at May 16, 2011 01:37 PM (SMGgV)
Posted by: Obamunist at May 16, 2011 01:38 PM (/COcn)
Some caucasians immune to HIV.
Minorities hardest hit.
Posted by: Michael at May 16, 2011 05:35 PM (FC2+c)
The initial plague started in the s/w part of Asia if I'm not mistaken. Ships would land in Constantinople/Istanbul then points west spreading the plague in the 1300's. Then of course, it only took the Germans a few years to start blaming the Jews. Germans...whether it was the plague or Luther or Hitler, they were always consistent.
Posted by: Samuel Adams at May 16, 2011 01:38 PM (gO39k)
What's up with this? Can't those assholes at CBS in SF call it the Black Plague anymore?
Posted by: Blacque Jacques Shellacque at May 16, 2011 01:39 PM (1rHeD)
There are two problems I have with embryonic stem cell research. One is actual, the other is only theoretical.
The actual, existent, problem with embryonic stem cell research is that it's worthless. It hasn't produced anything that even comes close to curing or treating anything it's supporters claim it should. All the while, it's taking my dollars (tax payer subsidies). Now, I don't support subsidies for such scientific research at all, but if the Government is going to take my money so scientists can do this kind of thing, I'd like the money spent on research that is useful- as adult stem cell research has proven to be repeatedly.
The purely theoretical problem is the idea that, if embryonic stem cell research "takes off" (the fact that it hasn't, despite the government subsidies says something, btw) then there will be a number (probably small, but still) of people who get pregnant just to sell the baby's stem cells (which requires murdering a human being- just to be clear, there). That one has been addressed, more-or-less, but not in any way that carries enough weight, IMO.
But, then, as you probably guessed, I think abortion should be treated as something more than "a medical procedure" requiring a court order or terminate the life of the child before it can go forward (including finding of fact that the mother will die if the pregnancy is not aborted).
Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at May 16, 2011 01:40 PM (8y9MW)
The initial plague started in the
s/w part of Asia if I'm not mistaken. Ships would land in
Constantinople/Istanbul then points west spreading the plague in the
1300's. Then of course, it only took the Germans a few years to start
blaming the Jews. Germans...whether it was the plague or Luther or
Hitler, they were always consistent.
Posted by: Samuel Adams at May 16, 2011 05:38 PM (gO39k)
--IIRC bubonic plague came from India.
Posted by: logprof at May 16, 2011 01:40 PM (BP6Z1)
Posted by: nevergiveup at May 16, 2011 01:41 PM (i6RpT)
Posted by: Empire of Jeff at May 16, 2011 01:41 PM (U9jjw)
Posted by: Soona at May 16, 2011 01:41 PM (JIDys)
This is America! I don't have to wear anything I don't want to!
Posted by: Cosmo Kramer at May 16, 2011 01:42 PM (SMGgV)
Some caucasians immune to HIV.
Minorities hardest hit.
I told you that the white devil created AIDS in a lab to kill off the brown skinned folk. Word.
Posted by: Louie Farrakhan at May 16, 2011 01:42 PM (YmPwQ)
I said in an earlier post that embryonic stem cells did not cause this, the gene did. I never have had any use for embryonic stem cells, unless the embryos were going to be thrown out for whatever reason. In that case get what you can from them. That's all I was saying.
Posted by: Samuel Adams at May 16, 2011 01:42 PM (gO39k)
Watermelon? I thought it was tomatoes that contained lycopene.
Or I'm completely missing something...
Posted by: Tami at May 16, 2011 05:35 PM (VuLos)
Lycopene is what makes tomatoes, watermelons and red bell peppers red.
Posted by: ErikW at May 16, 2011 01:42 PM (fbjBk)
Posted by: FUBAR at May 16, 2011 01:42 PM (1fanL)
It is a fairly dangerous procedure or at least was, 60/40 chance to make it through the procedure without dying.
Posted by: MarkC at May 16, 2011 01:44 PM (yPPVC)
Posted by: Empire of Jeff at May 16, 2011 05:41 PM (U9jjw)
I hereby denounce you for saying that, and I denounce myself for laughing at it.
Posted by: FUBAR at May 16, 2011 01:44 PM (1fanL)
Posted by: Oldsailor's poet at May 16, 2011 01:44 PM (Jq4xH)
Posted by: logprof bringin' more playground jokes at May 16, 2011 01:44 PM (BP6Z1)
The initial plague started in the s/w part of Asia if I'm not mistaken.
I read that the plague of Justinian's time started in a remote part of Egypt, then made it to Alexandria. From there it went to Constantinople by ship. I've also read that it originated in the foothills of the Himalayas, so its still an unsettled question.
OT, but it's a little-known fact that the killer Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 started in the Kansas, not Spain.
Posted by: Cicero at May 16, 2011 01:45 PM (QKKT0)
I just did a quick search of the scientific literature and confirmed that they're working on immortalizing bone marrow stem cells so they can keep them in the lab. As I understand it, without using some tricks, the cells will tend to lose their ability to differentiate into many cell types (pluripotency) if they are kept in culture (in a lab) for very long. I don't know how far along they've gotten on this process, but I'm seeing a lot of scientific papers from the past decade. It looks like some cell lines have been immortalized, but that there can be problems with those cells becoming malignant.
Posted by: Y-not at May 16, 2011 01:45 PM (pW2o8)
A fair enough comment, taken in a vacuum. And (normally) I'd agree. My statement was not so much a direct reply to yours, as it was using yours as a jumping-off-point for its own tangent.
Also, I'd note that so far "what you can from them" has been nothing. Except government cheese.
Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at May 16, 2011 01:45 PM (8y9MW)
To their credit, Europeans never whined about the Mongols giving them Plague (it would have almost surely spread to Europe eventually, anyway) like we never hear the end of that sort of crap about America (even as the Indians gave Europeans syphillis in exchange for small pox).
We did appreciate the wool blankets though.
Posted by: Iron Eyes Cody at May 16, 2011 01:46 PM (QKKT0)
I told you that the white devil created AIDS in a lab to kill off the brown skinned folk. Word.
Posted by: Louie Farrakhan at May 16, 2011 05:42 PM (YmPwQ)
I heard it on CNN, so it must be true.
Posted by: jimmy-joey at May 16, 2011 01:47 PM (c45xH)
Pics or it didn't happen.....
Wait....nevermind. Scrap that. Pics and you'll need the cure shortly thereafter.
Posted by: © Sponge at May 16, 2011 01:47 PM (UK9cE)
Posted by: progressoverpeace at May 16, 2011 05:43 PM (G/MYk)
Oh yeah, the Indians were great travelers of syphillis but then that's not politically correct to mention that. Nor the stories of the central and south American tribes dying out because of huge droughts instead of just smallpox. Also, nice to hear from you again POP.
Posted by: Samuel Adams at May 16, 2011 01:47 PM (gO39k)
I think so. I think they have to kill off your own marrow and hope the new cells take. So you are really at risk of infection, I believe.
I'm not an expert in this, but maybe someone else can jump in who is.
Posted by: Y-not at May 16, 2011 01:47 PM (pW2o8)
I heard it on CNN, so it must be true.
Posted by: jimmy-joey at May 16, 2011 05:47 PM (c45xH)
I also heard on CNN that Obama was dead and that turned out to not be true. What say you?
Posted by: © Sponge at May 16, 2011 01:48 PM (UK9cE)
Posted by: J.J. Sefton at May 16, 2011 01:48 PM (63kx/)
As a proud Kansan, it has traced it's origins to Fort Riley.
Posted by: Samuel Adams at May 16, 2011 01:49 PM (gO39k)
OT, but it's a little-known fact that the killer Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 started in the Kansas, not Spain.
Posted by: Cicero at May 16, 2011 05:45 PM (QKKT0)
Fucking Jayhawks!!
Posted by: Soona at May 16, 2011 01:49 PM (JIDys)
Um, Ace? It doesn't work that way. You don't have to create embryos to produce adult stem cells on a large-scale basis. The cells are self-renewing and the cell line can be extended (at least theoretically) and multiplied indefinitely in the lab. That is the beauty of stem cells...
Posted by: Geronimo at May 16, 2011 01:49 PM (KVI8B)
OT, but it's a little-known fact that the killer Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 started in the Kansas, not Spain.
I think you mean the Terrific Aids Plague started in the Kansas. Keep your faxts straighter.
Posted by: Pointy Headway at May 16, 2011 01:50 PM (gppu7)
Posted by: Geronimo at May 16, 2011 01:50 PM (KVI8B)
Posted by: J.J. Sefton at May 16, 2011 01:52 PM (63kx/)
Meh. Easier just to serve 'em divorce papers.
Posted by: Newt Gingrich at May 16, 2011 01:52 PM (aRkhG)
Only of the same line: which then means you're limited to whatever genes that line already possesses (more or less). I think Ace's point is that: if embryonic stem cells ever actually prove profitable (I doubt it), then you'll see (at least in the 2nd or 3rd world- I certainly hope it would be banned here) a run of women heading to their nearest Big Pharma concern to "donate" their unborn children's stem cells.
I'm not sure it would happen, but I'd rather not find out anyway.
Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at May 16, 2011 01:52 PM (8y9MW)
Yep that's the one, they harvest your stem cells and then radiate your whole body, then they put the stem cells back in and hope they re-take.
Infection during that time your are at rick for infection.
Also you lose all immunizations so you have to get the shots for those again after a year.
Posted by: MarkC at May 16, 2011 01:52 PM (yPPVC)
Posted by: Thoughtful Liberal at May 16, 2011 01:53 PM (5I0Yr)
Posted by: J.J. Sefton at May 16, 2011 01:53 PM (63kx/)
OT, but it's a little-known fact that the killer Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 started in the Kansas, not Spain.
As a proud Kansan, it has traced it's origins to Fort Riley.
At least I managed to take it to Oz and kill off some of those pesky Munchkins.
Posted by: Dorothy at May 16, 2011 01:53 PM (XdlcF)
Posted by: Vic
And after that, while we're about it, a "liberalism immunity gene"?
Posted by: Otis Criblecoblis at May 16, 2011 01:54 PM (fjoLg)
Posted by: Jeremiah God Damn America Wright at May 16, 2011 01:55 PM (rVYV5)
We did appreciate the wool blankets though.
Posted by: Iron Eyes Cody at May 16, 2011 05:46 PM (QKKT0)Captain Ecuyer of the British army handed out smallpox infected blankets during the siege of Fort Pitt during the Pontiac rebellion in 1763. The only documented case that ever existed of whites giving indians smallpox infected blankets. And he gave them out because some of his troops had died of smallpox during the siege.
Posted by: Samuel Adams at May 16, 2011 01:56 PM (gO39k)
Posted by: nevergiveup at May 16, 2011 01:56 PM (i6RpT)
I've found carrying around my copy of Basic Economics (Thanks, Dr. Sowell!) really helps, there, too. Great conversation starter.
Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) at May 16, 2011 01:57 PM (8y9MW)
I think that only gets the wobblers. Some people just seem to come lib right out of the box, because no amount of reality ever smartens them up.
Posted by: Otis Criblecoblis at May 16, 2011 01:58 PM (fjoLg)
Posted by: Y-not at May 16, 2011 05:45 PM (pW2o
Embryonic stem cells don't come from embryonic bone marrow.
Posted by: FUBAR at May 16, 2011 01:59 PM (1fanL)
Posted by: Barbarian at May 16, 2011 05:52 PM (EL+OC)
Yep, no surprise there. It was only a matter of time before they started reorganizing.
Posted by: ErikW at May 16, 2011 02:00 PM (fbjBk)
Yes. This patient was actually treated for leukemia, and just happened to have AIDS too. He also got very sick from the 'graft vs host' problem that is the biggest hazard to this procedure. Here is the wiki entry on this:
In 2007, a team of doctors in Berlin, Germany, including Gero Hütter performed a stem cell transplant for an leukaemia patient who was also HIV positive. From 60 matching donors, they selected a [CCR5]-Δ32 homozygous individual with two genetic copies of a rare variant of a cell surface receptor. This genetic trait confers resistance to HIV infection by blocking attachment of HIV to the cell. Roughly one in 1000 people of European ancestry have this inherited mutation, but it is rarer in other populations.[36][37] The transplant was repeated a year later after a relapse. Over three years after the initial transplant and despite discontinuing antiretroviral therapy, researchers cannot detect HIV in the transplant recipient's blood or in various biopsies.[38] Levels of HIV-specific antibodies have also declined, leading to speculation that the patient may have been functionally cured of HIV. However, scientists emphasise that this is an unusual case.[39] Potentially fatal transplant complications (the "Berlin patient" suffered from graft-versus-host disease and leukoencephalopathy) mean that the procedure could not be performed in others with HIV, even if sufficient numbers of suitable donors were found.[40][41]
Posted by: GnuBreed at May 16, 2011 02:00 PM (ENKCw)
Posted by: Barky the Orator at May 16, 2011 02:01 PM (AN8d5)
What's old is new again. Just look at Al Jazeera.
Posted by: J.J. Sefton at May 16, 2011 05:52 PM (63kx/)
--The irony is that the segregation imposed on them from the Gentiles may have had a big deal to do with it (the other major factor being their religious washings, perhaps?).
Posted by: logprof at May 16, 2011 02:01 PM (BP6Z1)
Whitey trying to keep the black man down. I'm glad my boy is all up da house to deliver us from the white devils.
Posted by: Rev. Wright at May 16, 2011 02:01 PM (NuPNl)
Posted by: nevergiveup at May 16, 2011 02:01 PM (i6RpT)
Posted by: Samuel Adams at May 16, 2011 02:03 PM (gO39k)
Posted by: J.J. Sefton at May 16, 2011 05:52 PM (63kx/)
What a coincidence, the Jews of modern Europe suffered far less than their neighbors during WW2 also.
Posted by: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at May 16, 2011 02:04 PM (1fanL)
We're talking about an ADULT stem cell line here, not embryonic. There is no need to use embryos to get this specific cell line and mass produce it.
Posted by: Geronimo at May 16, 2011 02:06 PM (KVI8B)
One other speculated thing about the plague was is the worship of cats in Egypt. It is speculated by some that cats became worshiped in Egypt because of the success in areas with cat for fighting the plague. Bubonic plague is transmitted via flea bites from rats. Towns that had a lot of cats did not have a lot of rats, thous plague would have had a harder time with its primary vector there.
Posted by: Vic at May 16, 2011 02:07 PM (M9Ie6)
Posted by: ace at May 16, 2011 02:09 PM (nj1bB)
Posted by: gebrauchshund at May 16, 2011 02:09 PM (iYwUw)
I iz kitteh RESPECT ME or I'll bit yer hed off man
Posted by: Y-not at May 16, 2011 02:09 PM (pW2o8)
"Wrap that Rascal!" Maybe I should have listened to my own advice.
Posted by: Andrew Sullivan at May 16, 2011 02:11 PM (gO39k)
Posted by: ace at May 16, 2011 02:11 PM (nj1bB)
Are you drifting a bit towards pro-life? It seems like you're a bit more sympathetic to the pro-life position as of late.
Posted by: Y-not at May 16, 2011 02:11 PM (pW2o8)
The problem with many cell lines though, is that they either die in lab after a certain amount of replications, or they mutate (as I believe Y-not stated upthread).
Posted by: Geronimo at May 16, 2011 02:14 PM (KVI8B)
Posted by: David at May 16, 2011 02:15 PM (OXUok)
My point was, embryos don't have bone marrow. Fetuses pretty far along do. You need a person to keep a fetus going. The embryos can be started out in dishes.
I was guessing at some political problem that may yet flow from this. If, say, the best way to mass-produce such cells is to clone them and produce them embryonically?
I wouldn't put anything past some people.
Personally, I was appalled by that case (was it a couple of years ago now?) of the couple who conceived a child specifically so they could use her as an organ donor for their other child.
Posted by: Y-not at May 16, 2011 02:16 PM (pW2o8)
Posted by: Geronimo at May 16, 2011 02:19 PM (KVI8B)
Posted by: barney frank at May 16, 2011 02:22 PM (nj7LO)
Are you drifting a bit towards pro-life? It seems like you're a bit more sympathetic to the pro-life position as of late.
Posted by: Y-not at May 16, 2011 06:11 PM (pW2o
--I thought he'd already been pro-life for the most part.
Posted by: logprof at May 16, 2011 02:29 PM (BP6Z1)
Posted by: David at May 16, 2011 06:15 PM (OXUok)
Fixed
Posted by: Soona at May 16, 2011 02:30 PM (JIDys)
Posted by: Nancy Pelosi at May 16, 2011 02:47 PM (FcR7P)
Posted by: Chairman LMAO at May 16, 2011 02:47 PM (9eDbm)
Adult stem cells, IIRC, can come from sources like: your own tissues, baby teeth, bone marrow, umbilical cords (after the birth of a child), even skin cells. None of those require anyone to die either pre- or post-natally, they're being used effectively to treat something like 60 different conditions, and doesn't need government funding because it's effective enough to get private money.
How exactly they're harvested I don't know. I've told you everything I do.
Posted by: Steve the Pirate's wife at May 16, 2011 03:16 PM (B0893)
Damn you, mumsy! Damn you!
Posted by: andi sullivan at May 16, 2011 03:20 PM (Y1DZt)
Posted by: Optimizer at May 16, 2011 04:30 PM (F56VB)
Posted by: Sigh at May 16, 2011 04:33 PM (tPbl7)
The gene in question is CCR5. What makes it special is that it is the cellular receptor that the M tropic strain (over 90% of all western HIV cases) of HIV binds to. A genetic variant that deletes part of the gene and screws up the receptor's structure prevents the virus from binding. If you have two defective copies (one from each parent) then the virus can't bind your cells and you're immune.
This guy got HIV developing to full blown AIDs, and then he got leukemia. He received a bone marrow transplant to treat the leukemia, and the donor just happened to have two defective copies of this receptor gene. Your bone marrow is full of stem cells (yes, they are adult stem cells), and these stem cells can replenish themselves constantly, providing a constant source for red and white blood cells to keep your blood fully stocked. For the transplant, you kill off the stem cells in the patient's bone marrow with radiation (to kill the leukemia cells), and then transplant non-leukemic bone marrow to replace these stem cells. This patient just hit the jackpot and got a transplant that made him immune to the virus.
The bad news is twofold.
1) You have to be a damn near perfect HLA match to get a bone marrow transplant. It's very hard to find a good donor for transplants, which is why so many fellow morons are dying slowly on the liver transplant list. So the chances of finding a perfect match among this population that is less than 1% of the general population is very low. (PS, if you're a minority or biracial go to marrow.org and get yourself registered, as there is a dire need for more diverse donors to get better matches across all genetic groups)
2) The protective allele is a Scandinavian genetic trait. I suspect most people would rather die slowly than replace their blood with filthy Scandi blood.
Posted by: First Year Med Student at May 16, 2011 04:40 PM (pkTiu)
Posted by: torabora at May 16, 2011 04:46 PM (PphUm)
Posted by: gebrauchshund at May 16, 2011 06:09 PM (iYwUw)
*wrist flip* You're no fwun.
Posted by: Bwaney Fwank at May 16, 2011 05:11 PM (PphUm)
Posted by: Tonestaple at May 16, 2011 05:51 PM (8bxEz)
Posted by: Baby Boomer with is hand in your wallet at May 17, 2011 05:17 AM (EhYdw)
For really crazy stuff you could look at transgenic bone marrow (tranducing in copies of the defective receptor with a carrier virus). But I think the AZT cocktail is cheaper all the way around, and none of this stuff is rugged enough for Africa. That hell hole will require a mass produced, vaccine that is too cheap to be worth stealing and stable enough to ship and store without refrigeration.
After teaching med students histology, twice as many dental students can identify a cock in cross section than med students.
Posted by: gulfkraken at May 17, 2011 05:47 AM (WBfjO)
Yes and no.
This is not new news. I read about this or saw a TV show or something, I forget, like months to a year ago.
About the fluke that is - the quirk genetic immunity.
Problem is, bone marrow is not very compatible. You have to have a compatible donor with the immunity. A bone marrow transplant is hardly a walk-in procedure as it is, and getting a compatible donor who also happens to have the genetic quirk is a bit like winning the lotto twice.
Posted by: Entropy at May 17, 2011 06:03 AM (IsLT6)
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Posted by: toby928™ at May 16, 2011 01:16 PM (GTbGH)