Two women found with HIV-immune gene in China

"Two women have been identified as carrying a mutant gene that is immune to HIV/AIDS, the first such cases uncovered in China, a researcher said.

The finding is the joint effort of a research programme, "Association of Human Genetic Polymorphisms with HIV Affections,'' jointly conducted by the University of Washington in the US State of Washington and local Infectious Disease Hospitals and medical institutions in Guangdong Province.

Tuofu Zhu, associate professor of University of Washington and associate director of the Clinical Core at the Centre for AIDS Research (CFAR), introduced the programme to China a year ago as a part of his global research in nations in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia.

"Before, such mutant genes were only found in Caucasians. The finding has encouraged us to do further research in China, with the aim of developing medicines to prevent and cure HIV/AIDS for different races,''said Zhu."

China Daily: Two women found with HIV-immune gene

Click link above for full article...

Kind of creepy that they can develope a cure "for different races"...

Interesting.
Link doesnt work. Maybe its my work computer. Ill try from home tomorrow.

I saw the special on the European decendants of black/bubonic plague survivors last year. Those who survived or were totally immune, have decendants today who are also immune to HIV. D-2 or 12 I think it is

I think it has to do with mixing races. Those people immune had not mixed and remained in there small villages generation after generation. However, most of the world is mixed so it makes sense that China or another Asian country would be next with these immunities with there strong family ties and traditions.

Originally posted by DragonflyKingdom
Interesting.
Link doesnt work. Maybe its my work computer. Ill try from home tomorrow.

I think it has to do with mixing races. Those people immune had not mixed and remained in there small villages generation after generation.

Link worked for me (it worked now anyway).

Speaking of "pure" races, with risk of the nazi-politzei (or "Eddie") going to arrest me.
I`ve heard that the people of Iceland have the purest genes we know of.
According to your theory (which is interesting, BTW), they should be pretty immune then...

Originally posted by Hellmutt
I`ve heard that the people of Iceland have the purest genes we know of.
According to your theory (which is interesting, BTW), they should be pretty immune then...

The reported stats look "pretty good" - no more than 13 and as little 0 new cases each year reported between 1983 and 2002.

Of course, what's important is the percent of the population, and I don't have those numbers ...

Originally posted by DragonflyKingdom
I think it has to do with mixing races. Those people immune had not mixed and remained in there small villages generation after generation. However, most of the world is mixed so it makes sense that China or another Asian country

That may sound good in theory, but the real world seldom fits models. While you could make a case that some people are genticaly predisposed for disease resistance, unless you have a linear family tree its almost impossible to prevent mixing in any way shape or form. From a genetic standpoint, mixing makes more sence as it spreads out the genes. You may dilute the good, but you also dilute out the bad at the same time. Genitical pure races are always one step away from extintion. What is a disease surfaces that thier particular genetic makeup cannot defeat? Mother natures version of genocide.

Big deal. It is estimated that around 5-10% of people are HIV resistant. These people are usually north European though...

Originally posted by apw100
Big deal. It is estimated that around 5-10% of people are HIV resistant. These people are usually north European though...

Any links to those stats? Taking them at face value though, isn't that a bit odd that people of northern European decent are more likely to be immune from HIV, considering the popular theory that HIV/AIDS originated from Africa?

I'm not sure I understand all the ramifications here.

If there are people who are HIV/AIDS immune and it is a genetic and inherited condition, and;

If we can implant that gene in people (using perhaps a virus as a genetic vector) which will make their offspring immune to HIV; and

If we can figure out a way to deliberately "infect" people with this HIV resistant gene (which would be a bitcheroo, given the ramifications involved, exspecially in Africa and other Third World HIV/AIDS hot-spots);

Then we might cut down on people in the next generation who would be susceptible to AIDS.

In other words, we could genetically engineer the next generation of humans (while we're at it, we could also engineer them to be resistant to dental caries, cholesterol buildup, etc.). Actually, despite my skepticism, I am not a Luddite; I would at least consider the advantages versus disadvantages of such a plan.

But I believe that most people would not; and even if they did; how does identifying a genetic marker help us to inoculate this generation of potential HIV/AIDS patients -- or cure the existing patients?

This isn't a rhetorical question; I am not a medical person.

Originally posted by Hellmutt
I`ve heard that the people of Iceland have the purest genes we know of.

Purity in biology can only mean 'isolation'. Icelanders have, as a population, entered into a genetics study wherein all their genes are being sampled, or a large portion of the population anyway. Iceland has a small population, and no one from outside of it really wants to move there, so it probably has a moderately 'isolated' population probably, yeah. But its not particularly old, and is made up, originally, from different scandavian populations anyway no?

Also note that bubonic plague is supposed to have had its first major outbreak in china (or at least 'the black death' started there) and migrated to other countries and regions, including europe.

fiberoptik
isn't that a bit odd

No, its not odd, becuase the disease is new, not old, so no population should have, thru natural selection, developed immunity to it. Some populations might have a natural resistance to it tho, but that should be essentially random.

OTS, technically its possible to take a zygote and insert this gene (i'd guess the method of choice is thru a retorvirus). I suppose one could also take a retorvirus with this gene and just release it into the general population, then there'd be a number of new zygotes (and thus eventually people) that are immune to HIV. That'd be ironic, fighting a retrovirus with a retrovirus.

[edit on 13-10-2004 by Nygdan]

I always thought it was some people were immune to AIDS and not HIV. That they could be infected with HIV but it would never turn into AIDS in their body.

Are these people and these ones in China still carriers of the virus? By which I mean though it will not effect their health can they still infect people not immune to it?

Actually both is true. Depending on the genetics of the individual you can either progress slowly to AIDS once you've got HIV, progress through AIDS slowly, or alternatively be highly resistant to infection by the virus in the first place. In terms of the latter the best known example is the CCR5 delta32 mutation. The following article gives a bit more detail on it.


Delta32 Gene Testing Labs has just announced the release of a test for the CCR5 delta 32 gene mutation. This gene confers resistance to infection by HIV in humans. Around 10-20% of the caucasian general population and lower percentages of other groups have 1 copy of this gene. Research studies have shown that whilst one copy of the gene does not provide a barrier to infection, it can slow the progression of latent HIV infection to AIDS. Conversely, 2 copies can render an individual highly resistant to infection by the majority of strains of HIV. Although only 1-2% of the caucasion general population have 2 copies of the delta32 gene mutation, as high as 20-30% of groups at high risk of HIV infection have 2 copies. Very few individuals with 2 copies of the gene have ever been recorded as being infected by the virus. Whilst other human genes can yield resistance to HIV, the delta32 gene mutation is one of the better characterised examples. DNA samples are taken by the customers via a cheek swab and sent through the mail. The company states that it provides the service for the information of customers only, it is not considered as a diagnostic. The genetic information from the test could be useful for individuals, or HIV-positive parents making decisions in relation to their children. Partners of HIV-positive people may also find the information helpful. Irrespective of the genetic status of individuals, the company strongly encourages the use of safe sex practices. Any decisions taken as a result of the test should be dicussed with a physician or genetic counsellor beforehand.