Scientists expose HIV weak spot

w1z4rd

Karmic Sangoma
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"The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases announced Thursday that they had discovered a very promising 'weak spot' in the HIV virus. The HIV virus, a progenitor to full blown AIDS has eluded all attempts at a vaccine since it was discovered sometime in the 1970's. The major problem with developing a vaccine initially was isolating the virus. Conventional viruses are often defeated with existing drugs, or after being tested against new compounds. HIV has been unique, and staggering in it's ability to resist all attempts at treatment by mutating its own genetic code. HIV is able to resist, with great effectiveness, any drug or combination drug-therapy that is used against it."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6357287.stm
 
The part of the virus that is responsible for entering human cells because if it mutates too much it stops being able to enter those cells. At least, that's the way I read it.
 
The part of the virus that is responsible for entering human cells because if it mutates too much it stops being able to enter those cells. At least, that's the way I read it.

OK ...

I find it a bit strange.

Reason: It's like saying Evolution is actually killing an entity. Am I wrong in making that assumption ?

Evolution has brought us this far. Why would it kill a virus ?
By this i'm refering to the virus mutation as evolution.
 
Not all mutation is good. What's the point of mutating lungs if you're born on the bottom of the ocean where you need gills to breathe?

By the sounds of it, the part of the virus which is responsible for getting the virus inside human cells cannot mutate too much or it becomes incompatible with humans cells (and thus unable to enter human cells). This in turn gives scientists a part of the virus that they can target with a vaccine.

In conclusion : Yes, I'd say you're wrong to claim that evolution is killing an entity. :p
 
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