We all know that HIV is a deadly virus that cannot be cured at this stage. The biggest problem is that HIV can be stored in the cells of the host, and most of the drugs currently on the market target the virus itself, but do not affect the cells, that is, the virus in the human body is controlled, but the cells are still infected.
Recently, researchers at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands announced internationally that they had developed a gene editing technology that successfully removed HIV from infected cells. This has undoubtedly opened the door of hope for researchers and the medical field in the fight against AIDS. In this article, we'll take a closer look at this epoch-making technology and its possible impact.
Gene editing technology excises HIV.
HIV is known to be a cell that is able to be stored in the host, which is why it is so deadly. Once the host is infected, it cannot be eradicated, even if the drugs in life inhibit the virus in the body, as long as the human body is in a state for a moment, the virus will continue to destroy the body. For a long time, scientists have been working to find a way to remove HIV from infected cells and make patients recover.
Now, researchers at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands have successfully removed HIV from infected cells through cutting-edge technology. According to reports, the method they used was not to fundamentally destroy the cells as they had done in the past. Using a scissor-like gene-editing technique that accurately cuts the DNA of cells, they designed a device that allowed them to remove HIV from cells.
In fact, this technology is not specifically designed for HIV, and it is far from meaningful. This technology originated in the immune system of microorganisms, and was later borrowed and improved by humans for gene editing. With this technology, people can excise, insert, or replace specific DNA molecules, and its applications are extremely wide. In terms of practical applications, researchers can use this technology in plant breeding, genetic research, and in the field of medicine, bringing great social significance.
And these positive effects are not 100% certain, and there are huge risks and unknown dangers lurking.
First, off-target effects. Whether you're studying cells or anything else, their structure is inherently complex, and if a researcher accidentally cuts the wrong place, it can have dire consequences. When researchers tend to excise the virus, the technical equipment can produce off-target effects in cells that are free of the virus, which is undoubtedly harmful to healthy cells and can also lead to a range of health problems.
Therefore, in order to use this technology to treat diseases, we must first find a way to lock it to the cells infected with the virus, so that it only acts on the virus, and has no effect on the cells themselves.
Second, the long-term side effects of technology. In terms of the current research conditions, the researchers are far from discovering the full range of risks and problems with this technical device. It is only known that it can cut the DNA of cells, but there is no clear answer as to whether it will have an impact on the growth and development of cells and the body's immune system while removing the virus.
Researchers must be cautious when using this technological device to treat diseases, carefully observing the physical condition of each patient, so as to prevent the technical equipment from affecting the body while removing the virus, so as to avoid irreversible consequences.
The author thinks. Although science and technology have brought countless conveniences to our lives, the risks and harms behind them cannot be ignored. Therefore, when using science and technology to treat human diseases, we must be cautious and must not be impulsive, so as not to bring irreversible consequences to mankind.
Of course, we cannot deny the importance of science and technology because of some temporary risks, as long as we strictly supervise and test them, and scientific researchers continue to work hard, I believe that in the near future, we will be able to find more radical cures for diseases.