CRISPR gene editing technology is developing a cure for AIDS! Let’s start with what HIV & AIDS is. HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a type of virus that affects T cells that help fight infections in the immune system. Like other viruses, it cannot fulfill its vital functions on its own, it needs a host cell.
And what is AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)?
AIDS is a life-threatening stage caused by HIV in which the immune system is vulnerable to various infections and diseases. The first recorded case in the world was seen in the USA in 1981.
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What are the symptoms?
If you have this virus in your body, it may not be so easy to recognize. It varies from person to person and flu symptoms can be observed 2-4 weeks after the virus enters the body. However, it may not show any symptoms and its effects may appear 5-10 years later. The HIV virus can be diagnosed with a blood test and there is a waiting period for the test after infection. HIV is diagnosed by detecting antibodies that the body produces against the virus. It is therefore important to take the test at the right time, taking into account the process of antibody formation.
Common symptoms include:
- Fever
- Sore throat and inflammation in the throat
- Headache
- Enlarged lymph nodes
- Body rash (rashes and blisters 5-10 mm in diameter, usually on the face and trunk, less commonly on the palms and soles of the feet) – Dermatitis
- Sores in the mouth, esophagus and genital organs
- Muscle and joint pain
- Untreated diarrhea lasting more than one month
- Nausea and vomiting
How is it transmitted?
- Partners of an HIV-positive person,
- Unprotected sexual intercourse,
- People with a history of risky contact,
- Intravenous drug addiction and shared syringe use,
- Infants of HIV-positive pregnant women constitute groups at risk.
Now that we have given you some general information on the subject, let’s talk about an important development in the treatment of AIDS!
Dutch researchers are developing a cure for AIDS thanks to CRISPR gene editing technology!
Current treatment methods prevent the spread of the virus, keep the disease under control but cannot eliminate it. With the further development of this study, a new hope will be born for AIDS patients.
The study uses CRISPR technology, a method familiar to science lovers. Thus, the HIV virus can be separated from infected cells.
However, the team conducting the study at the University of Amsterdam emphasizes that more experiments are needed to make the treatment safe and usable. Prof. Dr. James Dixon, who works on stem cell and gene therapy technologies at the University of Nottingham in the UK, states that the results of the research should be examined more closely and more studies should be done to determine whether the measurements obtained will be effective in the whole body to allow treatment.
References: AIDS'te yeni tedavi umudu: HIV'i hücreden ayırma denemesi başarılı oldu - BBC News Türkçe. (2024, March 20). BBC News Türkçe. https://www.bbc.com/turkce/articles/c84drg3wmzlo HIV ve AIDS. (n.d.). Pozitif. https://www.pozitifiz.org/hiv-ve-aids T.C. SAĞLIK BAKANLIĞI
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