Using HIV gene therapy technology: New hope of Russian scientists

Scientists at the National University of Pharmacy Pirogov have collaborated with Moscow National University and experts from Kulakov Science Center have created human embryos with genes that determine their ability to fight decline virus. Human immunity (HIV).

Treatment with gene technology

Scientists adjusted the embryos of many embryos into a single cell (xygote) with help from. From xygote, they split 32 nucleotides from the CCR5 gene sequence that encodes receptors, helping the virus to attach to the blood cells.

Some people naturally own the CCR5 gene variant specifically and show an increase in resistance to HIV infection. Technology that will help protect children often reacts negatively to antiviral therapy not infected by HIV-infected mothers.

The embryo of the human embryo is not regulated all over the embryo, but on a single zygote, formed by the result of a fusion of eggs and a sperm cell. A zygote is the first cell from the human body. Accordingly, the most appropriate time when we can change the genetic program in the body is at the zygote stage.

A zygote is the first cell from the human body.

Challenges face

One of the important potential goals for genetic medicine is to create embryos resistant to HIV . In the study, the selection of this particular model is not much compared to the solution of a specific medical problem, but for the sake of technology development introduces exactly the change to the human genome at the level unicellular.

With this model, scientists do not create a new genotype, but only change a natural variation into another variation. Some people, most Northern Europeans have specific gene variants from cell receptors, such as chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5), which immunodeficiency virus is uncomfortable trying to cling to the surface. cell. CCR5 will turn into a defense receptor to protect human cells from viral entry. People with CCR5 variants are naturally immune to HIV.

People living with HIV today are no longer an obstacle to reproductive function. Mothers taking antiviral drugs may give birth to children without HIV infection. However, some people respond to a weaker, clear body antiviral therapy due to the specific nature of their genome. And, if they want to have children, the risk of having an HIV-infected child is higher than the average. In the future, medicine can help these women with technology to create antibodies in the fetus against HIV to avoid the risk of infection.