We have an extraordinary breakthrough in the fights against AIDS. U.S. scientists have reported that they have isolated three powerful antibodies for HIV — one of which neutralizes 91% of HIV strains.
This could be the basis for an eventual vaccine for AIDS. The antibodies were discovered in the cells of a 60-year-old African-American gay man, known only as “Donor 45.”
This is wonderful news and the scientists are going to start “blending” antibodies to see if they can knock out all strains.
What is interesting legally in these breakthrough moments is the the source for the antibodies is rarely given significant value for his unique antibodies. This has been an issue that has repeatedly been raised and courts have generally favored hospitals and researchers in blocking demands for compensation. This issue was raised in Moore v. Regents of the University of California, 51 Cal. 3d 120, 271 Cal. Rptr. 146, 793 P.2d 479 (1991). In that case, Moore was treated for hairy cell leukemia at UCLA Medical Center. His doctor, Dr. David W. Golde and others soon realized that Moore’s cells were promising for genetic research. Moore was never told that his cells were being used for research and was never told that blood and tissue samples were being taken specifically for such research. Indeed, he alleged that follow up visits were scheduled primarily to harvest such material.
Golde patented a cell line using Moore’s cells and he and his colleagues made a great deal of money. Moore argued conversion and lost. The court ruled that he had no expectation that such blood and tissue would be returned — even though he would have likely demanded compensation if he knew that he was being harvested for valuable genetic material. The most that the courts were willing to give Moore was a ruling that the hospital violated the duty of disclosure and the requirement of consent. However, damages for such torts are far less than what he would have received under a conversion claim.
Source: Wall Street Journal
If a vaccine can be developed to prevent or cure aids, that would be a monumental discovery. Knowing the Far Right, they will claim that taking the vaccine violates the Bible!
It was just a matter of time. I think I read somewhere that this was a CIA experiment that went bad. I am unsure where I read that. Maybe, I can tell either, because its a secret…..
AIDS has been around such a long time. I can remember the panic when it first started making it into the news and quickly became known as “the gay plague.” And then all those people died. It really was a plague. Still is in Africa I guess.
The earliest known case of a human being with HIV now goes back to 1959. It was discovered in a tissue sample from someone in the Congo.
Working with people that are confronting their IV drug use is always more difficult when they are HIV positive since that is just another reason why they can be reckless with their lives and not working towards future goals. Any advances in AIDS research is another reason to believe in ones future and to take positive health precautions to ensure you have one.
Research is slow, but this is certainly hopeful news.
Saw a documentary a few years back about a village in Cheshire that had gone through the plague almost unscathed – even many who caught it recovered in a few days.
As many now living there are descended from the early residents, a local Uni did a few tests and found that many had either one or two genetic mutations called “delta 14”. One mutation could be passed on from each of a persons parents.
The conclusion was that those with a single delta 14 were the ones who caught but survived the plague, whereas those who never even caught it had 2 delta 14’s.
Fast forward to modern San Fransisco and a promiscuously gay bloke who was wondering why he had lost 80 of his friends to AIDS over the years, but still had a clean bill of health himself.
You’ve guessed it – 2 delta 14 mutations, although his ancestry was German rather than the aforementioned English village.
Off to the lab and they started dropping crazy amounts of HIV into blood sample taken from this guy. His blood was just killing the HIV!
Vaccines for retroviruses are problematic, so I wish them luck.
I don’t know why doctors and researchers don’t give donors a piece of the action. Greed I suspose.
Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution
Good on you Science.
Too bad that pretty much all modern biology is in large part based on the theory of EVILution, which as we all know is just part of an evil leftist plot to…
Sorry that’s usually where I stop paying attention, so I’m not too sure how the rest of the rant goes. I know I can count on you guys to finish it for me though right?
This is very good news.