#generesearch

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It’s estimated that as of 2020, almost 40 million people have died from an Aids-related illness. However, modern day antiretroviral therapy (ART) make HIV a livable disease. With ART becoming more accessible worldwide, deaths related to HIV/AIDS illnesses are on a steep decline. But with 37.9 people still living with HIV as of 2018, scientists have not become complacent in the search for an HIV cure. And after decades of searching, scientists are discovering that with gene therapy, the elusive HIV cure may be on the verge of discovery. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push({}); Since the discovery of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV for short) in 1983, scientists has searched for an Hiv cure to no avail. But in the mid 1990s scientists, scientists made an astonishing discovering in Stephen Crohn, a man who appeared to be immune to contracting the virus. Stephen, researchers found had a mutation in the CCR5 gene which prevented him from, despite being exposed to HIV, contracting the disease. This led to decades long interest in this gene mutation, one they coined CCR5 delta 32. Furthermore, compounding on this discovery were two people who after receiving a bone marrow transplant of hematopoietic stem cells from people with the natural occurring CCR5 delta 32 mutation, had their HIV sent into remission. In fact, CCR5 is the very gene that was altered in Lulu and Nana (pseudonyms) in an attempt to induce a natural immunity to HIV in the twin girls.  

The HIV Cure

The HIV cure seems to be in resetting a persons immune system with transplant of hematopoietic stem cells containing the CCR5 delta 32 mutation, but bone marrow transplants for 37.9 million people is not entirely a viable option. For one, just one percent of a tiny demographic off the population contain this gene. Two, bone marrow transplants are dangerous to its recipients. There is always the chance that the recipients body reject the transplant. This is where gene therapy come into play. In one practical application, researchers from Temple University and the University of Nebraska Medical Center were able to completely eliminate the virus from humanized mice by combining both ART and CRISPR gene editing. It should be noted however that this treatment was not able to cure all the mice that were infected with HIV, but nevertheless was able to remove the virus from some of the mice. Now they are hoping to move to human trials sometime in 2020. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push({}); In the private sector, another company American Gene Technologies are trying to induce the protective mutation in HIV patients and if successful, will rid patients of the deadly virus. The experimental therapy includes separating the T-cells from about 400 millimeters of blood from an HIV patient, incubating those T-cells, then engineering those cells with the desired mutation, two weeks later those cells will then be infused back into the patient. This process is supposed to be a one time treatment that will cure the patient of HIV. The company is expected to open enrollment for the clinical trials this February of 2020.

Going Forward

If you have never previously heard of the water bear, most likely you will read this with the impression that this is a science fiction article. However, I must correct that mistake immediately. Water Bears, also known by their scientific nomenclature Tardigrades, are some of Earth’s most fascinating creatures! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push({});

The Water Bears

Water bears (a.k.a Tardigrades) went largely undiscovered, and to this day, relatively unknown largely in part due to their incredibly small size. Ranging from 0.05 millimeters to 1.2 millimeters (0.002 to 0.05 inches) they come in as the smallest animals on earth. In fact you would require a low powered light microscope just to even see one!This would explain why it wasn't until 1773 when they were first discovered by German pastor, Johann August Ephraim Goeze. He named them Tardigrada, which means “slow stepper”. Visually, Water Bears resemble a plump bear with fat rolls that transverse the entirety of its body. Their head however is scrunched-up and they have eight appendages with four to eight claws on each.

Scanning Electron Microscope Image of Tardigrade. Image Attribute: Schokraie E, Warnken U, Hotz-Wagenblatt A, Grohme MA, Hengherr S, et al. (2012) (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push({}); One thing that immediately distinguish the water bear from any other animal on earth is the fact that, despite their size, they are surprisingly resilient. Water bears can survive virtually any environment. From mountain tops to the deep sea, from rain forests to the Antarctic, Tardigrades have also been shown to be able to survive the vacuum of space!

Tardigrades In Harsh Environments

What makes the Water Bear Earth’s mightiest creature is its ability ability to survive in a large variety of harsh environments. As mentioned above, the Water Bear can survive in the vacuum of space, temperatures as low as -200 °C (-328 °F) and as high as 151 °C (304 °F), extreme radiation, high pressure (6x the pressure of the deepest part of the ocean), low pressure, boiling alcohol, and more I have failed to mention. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push({}); The secret to their survivability lies is a process known as cryptobiosis, a metabolic state of being entered by an organism in response to extreme environmental conditions. In this state the Water Bear’s metabolic activity comes to a standstill until the animal regains a favorable environment, then the state is reversed.

Water Bears and Scientific Research

((I end up realizing that Albert is a guy who can fully admit he is wrong.

In a way that he still manages to insult you though.

Something like: "I won't pretend to know what its like to grow up a peasant. I was privileged in my childhood and I doubt I will ever understand what it is like to mature as a commoner."