AIDS Virus hides in Gut

[Gareth]

Source: http://www.wired.com/news/wireservic...l?tw=rss.index

I found this article interesting. HIV has been around for 25 years, yet our knowledge of the virus and its workings is still lacking.

Originally Posted by Wired

The AIDS virus hides out inside people's intestines, researchers said on Saturday in a report that offers new understanding of the incurable infection.

The virus replicates in the lining of the gut and does much of its damage to the immune system there, Satya Dandekar, chairwoman of the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at the University of California Davis Health System, and colleagues reported.

Hopefully this knowledge will help in improved treatment for sufferers.

[bopdude]

Mmmm, interesting, 25 years !!! has it been that long, the question I always ask is, where did the AIDS virus come from, I read somewhere once over that part of the virus is a chemical found nowhere in nature, in other words, man made, and we all know the stories about birth control experiments gone bad so I'll leave it there, *semi rant over

Still I would like to know, ok, ok, I'll leave it

[Xaccers]

It's origin in the simian form of the virus has been found in southern congo, leading to the belief that back in the 1930's (first case that may have been AIDS) hunters became infected with the simian version whilst butchering chimps, and this spread slowly due to the lack of global travel at the time, and then more rapidly once it entered brothels and their clientel

[homealone]

Originally Posted by bopdude

Mmmm, interesting, 25 years !!! has it been that long, the question I always ask is, where did the AIDS virus come from, I read somewhere once over that part of the virus is a chemical found nowhere in nature, in other words, man made, and we all know the stories about birth control experiments gone bad so I'll leave it there, *semi rant over

Still I would like to know, ok, ok, I'll leave it

it is longer than that, according to this article

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5012268.stm

if true, it would rule out the 'man made' theory, as back then we couldn't even see viruses, let alone manipulate them...

<edit> to acknowledge Xaccers post

[Maggy J]

So much for the theory that the stomach's acids would kill the virus.

[Xaccers]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

So much for the theory that the stomach's acids would kill the virus.

That only works if you swallow the virus
It also doesn't work for all bugs, like the ones that cause ulcers.

[Gareth]

Originally Posted by Xaccers

That only works if you swallow the virus

must... resist.... temptation... to... reply....

Originally Posted by bopdude

Mmmm, interesting, 25 years !!! has it been that long, the question I always ask is, where did the AIDS virus come from, I read somewhere once over that part of the virus is a chemical found nowhere in nature, in other words, man made, and we all know the stories about birth control experiments gone bad so I'll leave it there, *semi rant over

Still I would like to know, ok, ok, I'll leave it

it's a very clever virus, in laymans terms it can adapt its signiture so that our anti-bodies cannot lock onto it.

But it's not man made, it's a variant of Hepititus.

[Jules]

Let us hope that by finding this out it is a step nearer to finding a cure