NOW THIS IS MEDICINE:
DRACO. Researchers at MIT discovered a method to kill – very specific – cells that are infected with some of the most severe viruses, like Hepatitis-C, HIV, Herpes, HPV, and more, and leaving uninfected cells untouched. All these viruses have, as an individual characteristic, double-stranded RNA (DSR). The MIT scientists built a cytotoxic T-cell by attaching 1) a receptor for double-stranded RNA, and 2) a DED (Death Effector Domain, apoptosis-inducing) part.
What happens, step-by-step, is this:
1) The cytotoxic T-cell scours the body. When it finds DSR, it attaches to the cell.
2) The DED part then indices apoptosis (cellular suicide) in the infected cell.
3) The cytotoxic T-cell moves on to find another infected cell.
The name DRACO is dubbed Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) Activated Caspase Oligomerizer.
Find details, references, schematic mechanism overview at “Hormone Replacement” “Senior Health” at this Forum.
— Last Edited by Hans J. Kugler, PhD at 2011-11-21 13:20:06 —
— Last Edited by Hans J. Kugler, PhD at 2011-12-03 23:54:40 —
#1 - July 12, 2013, 3:46 a.m.
This is an intriguing attempt to develop a generic anti-viral reagent that would operate against a spectrum of mammalian viruses . The idea to try developing a broad-spectrum antiviral therapy . |