One could imagine this technique also working in latent reserves of coronavirus harbored by people who have become infected.
I'd really like to see what happens when we eliminate HERVs ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1187282/#:~:tex... .) from our genome.
It'd kill us. There are vital parts of our genome that come from such viruses. The placenta, for example, forms its host-compatible interface layer with the mother's uterus using a virus-derived protein. So it is believed that all live-birth mammals derive from an animal that accidentally incorporated viral DNA into its genome.
.. In mice. It is unknown if it will work in humans. In addition, what are the long term consequences of causing multiple DNA cuts in nerve cells that the DNA repair mechanism cannot repair? There is still a very long, long way to go.
I am baffled why you are being downvoted. While this research is very promising, it's also not hard for me to imagine a scenario where these targeted molecular "DNA scissors" do something unexpected. And while the risks of gene editing seems worth it for fatal or debilitating diseases, I don't think I'd want to be on a trial for this for a disease that is primarily an annoyance. Again, I think the research and techni…
his comment is trash and you supporting it makes you trash as well. please get up to date on how medical research is performed.
One could imagine this technique also working in latent reserves of coronavirus harbored by people who have become infected.
I don't think coronavirus hides itself in the same way? The long-lived herpes DNA folds itself up compactly inside the nerve cells, which is very unique capability specific to that type of virus. Attacking these dormant genes requires some specific molecular machinery to either keep these genes in their dormant state (current antiviral therapies), or to open and snip them up (TFA). I'm pretty sure coronavirus reservo…
Yeah Sars-Cov2 is a RNA virus. RNA is far more unstable in the long term. It needs replication to survive for longer times, even if it's only at low levels. Generally in most people, the immune system can clear out the virus itself sooner or later completely. Long term symptoms come from tissue damage. Only the small group of immuno compromised people form an exception (Think HIV, organ transplants, etc). Here, the immune system is not strong enough to get rid of the virus completely, thus it stays around for longer times. But they form a tiny subset, and therapies for them would look different.
As a complete aside, I think this is a really interesting example of how a particular phrase has become part of the cultural vernacular. From the floor of the United States Congress, to t-shirts, to an article on herpes research. Pretty cool, imho.
My understanding is that herpes (both HSV1 and HSV2) are not actually bad but have enormous social stigma, which is the main problem. I wonder what can be done to address that, as an alternative strategy.
I don't think coronavirus hides itself in the same way? The long-lived herpes DNA folds itself up compactly inside the nerve cells, which is very unique capability specific to that type of virus. Attacking these dormant genes requires some specific molecular machinery to either keep these genes in their dormant state (current antiviral therapies), or to open and snip them up (TFA). I'm pretty sure coronavirus reservo…
Yeah Sars-Cov2 is a RNA virus. RNA is far more unstable in the long term. It needs replication to survive for longer times, even if it's only at low levels. Generally in most people, the immune system can clear out the virus itself sooner or later completely. Long term symptoms come from tissue damage. Only the small group of immuno compromised people form an exception (Think HIV, organ transplants, etc). Here, the i…
Very important to address these cases though, since it is believed that this is the source of the new variants that we are seeing now. Patients infected for months on end provide an ideal darwinian environment for the emergence of immune-escape variants.
I remember a study suggesting the Chickenpox vaccine suppresses outbreaks of HSV1 and HSV2 https://www.dovepress.com/efficacy-of-the-anti-vzv-anti-hsv3...
I wonder if that's why I've never had HSV1 despite my wife having had several outbreaks while we've been together. We aren't careful during outbreaks because I figure I'm going to get it sooner or later and we can't go weeks without kissing, but I've still never had an outbreak.
My understanding is that herpes (both HSV1 and HSV2) are not actually bad but have enormous social stigma, which is the main problem. I wonder what can be done to address that, as an alternative strategy.
A significant part of the stigma comes from the fact that once caught, it’s for life. So curing it looks like the best way to also fix the social stigma.
My understanding is that herpes (both HSV1 and HSV2) are not actually bad but have enormous social stigma, which is the main problem. I wonder what can be done to address that, as an alternative strategy.
That is if you have weak symptoms. You can have HSV1 herpes which reactivates on certain triggers like stress or environmental changes and takes a hold of your whole skin, causing overall itchiness and leading to hospitalization for treatment. These people have to take takes suppressants their whole lives which causes stress on the liver and kidneys.
A treatment of the root cause would be tremendous.