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Comment by curt | Hacker News Reader

Came up with an idea (edit: wrote in generalization, took to much credit, sorry, didn't want to bore everyone with details) 10 years ago, everybody thought I was crazy for wanting to inject HIV into people. The idea I had was to treat the human immune system like a computers anti-virus software and upload treatments using the HIV virus. Didn't think the FDA would even allow something like this for at least another decade. Really believe HIV is the key to ending disease in humans, even possibly aging.

Wonder how they handled its affinity for mutation? That was the big hurtle.

EDIT: xd corrected me. They did it in vitro. Which explains how they got around the FDA.

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https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Viral_vector

This idea has been around a hell of a lot longer than 10 years. Looks like you were late to the party. There also isn't a particular need to use HIV to do this in the general case either, the purpose of virii in general is to inject DNA into existing organisms.

Completely right. Didn't want to go into detail meant the anti-virus theory and why. I'll try to explain. You want to use HIV because of a few unique properties specifically the fact that you can split the gene material used in replication from the infection machinery. In addition it actual has most of the genes in place to do all the work you need since it's so well mapped and studied modifying the structure becomes much easier. My idea was to limit the insertion to only the original material (like a seedless watermelon) to remove the danger. And have virus upload the sequence needed to produce the antibodies or receptors required to target the foreign object. Then have the body kill it itself.

You had an idea, not a full theory. The gap between "Hey, maybe we can piggy-back on a virus to specialized white blood cells to target particular kinds of cells" and an actual treatment is enormous.

They're not injecting HIV into people. As far as I can make out, they are using a modified version of HIV to modify white blood cells which they then inject into the patient.

You're right, missed that part. Was wondering how they got around the FDA. Now it makes complete sense.

This is how zombie movies start.

Zombie movies have also started with re-entering spacecraft and teenage experimentation with the occult. Don't think much of it.

Fair enough, but at least one person thinks that it could destroy neural ganglia in those who have the herpes virus: http://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/jekip/new_drug_coul...

Granted, the odds of this translating to a plague of aggressive carnivores rather than dead quadraplegics are low, but if I were a novelist, I'd sequester myself in the attic and bang out a best-seller.

You appear to be confused. They're not talking about the cancer-destroying t-cells, they're talking about the DRACOs drug suite to kill viruses. Two totally different stories.

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