HIV is a virus that affects millions of people worldwide.
It can be eliminated from infected cells using CRISPR-Cas gene editing technology.
Researchers are searching for a way to target HIV in all types of cells and tissues in the body.
HIV is a virus that affects millions of people worldwide. It can be eliminated from infected cells using CRISPR-Cas gene editing technology, which provides a new means to target HIV DNA. The researchers are searching for a way to target HIV in all types of cells and tissues in the body, each with its own unique environment and characteristics.
, Scientists have successfully eliminated HIV from infected cells in what has been hailed as a significant breakthrough in the race for a cure.
The latest UKHSA data shows HIV diagnoses increased by 22 per cent — from 3,118 in 2021 to 3,805 in 20
Several groups are investigating using CRISPR that targets a gene in HIV as a way of disabling dormant virus.
The work is due to be presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona next month.
Accuracy
, Scientists have successfully eliminated HIV from infected cells in what has been hailed as a significant breakthrough in the race for a cure. Using 'genetic scissors', experts were able to snip out the virus from infected T cells in the laboratory, removing all traces.
Several groups are investigating using CRISPR that targets a gene in HIV as a way of disabling dormant virus. Now, Carrillo and her team have shown that, when tested on immune cells in a dish, their CRISPR system could disable all virus, eliminating it from these cells.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it claims that scientists have successfully eliminated HIV from infected cells when they only managed to snip out the virus using genetic scissors. This implies a complete cure which is not true as there are still reservoirs for reinfection remaining. Secondly, the article states that antiretroviral therapy (ART) enables most people with HIV to live a healthy life but it does not mention that this treatment only stops the virus from replicating in the body and does not eliminate it completely. Thirdly, there is no disclosure of sources used in the research which makes it difficult to verify their credibility.
The article claims that scientists have successfully eliminated HIV from infected cells but they only managed to snip out the virus using genetic scissors.
The article states that antiretroviral therapy (ART) enables most people with HIV to live a healthy life but it does not mention that this treatment only stops the virus from replicating in the body and does not eliminate it completely.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it states that the technique could one day be developed into a treatment without providing any evidence or scientific backing for this claim. Additionally, there are multiple instances of inflammatory rhetoric used throughout the article such as 'hailed as a significant breakthrough' and 'premature to declare'. The author also uses dichotomous depiction when stating that HIV integrates into the DNA of the person infected, taking over their cell machinery. This is not entirely accurate and oversimplifies a complex issue.
The technique could one day be developed into a treatment
HIV damages the cells in the immune system and weakens its ability to fight every day infections and disease.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that could be interpreted as promoting the idea of a cure for HIV. The author states that scientists have successfully eliminated HIV from infected cells in what has been hailed as a significant breakthrough in the race for a cure. This implies that there is hope for finding an effective treatment to stop the need for lifelong antiviral medication and potentially even eradicating the virus altogether.
Scientists have successfully eliminated HIV from infected cells
Using genetic scissors, they were able to snip out the virus from infected T cells in the laboratory, removing all traces.
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Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Kate Pickles has a conflict of interest on the topic of HIV cure breakthrough as she is reporting for Daily Mail which is owned by News Corp. This company also owns pharmaceutical companies that produce antiretroviral therapy (ART) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which are mentioned in the article.
Daily Mail has a financial stake in pharmaceutical companies that produce ART and PrEP, which are mentioned in the article.
CRISPR disabled HIV that lay dormant in immune cells in a lab experiment
Several groups are investigating using CRISPR that targets a gene in HIV as a way of disabling dormant virus. Now, Carrillo and her team have shown that, when tested on immune cells in a dish, their CRISPR system could disable all virus, eliminating it from these cells.
The work is due to be presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona next month.
Accuracy
Several groups are investigating using CRISPR that targets a gene in HIV as a way of disabling dormant virus. Now, Carrillo and her team have shown that, when tested on immune cells in a dish, their CRISPR system could disable all virus
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title suggests that CRISPR could cure HIV when it only shows promise of disabling dormant virus. Secondly, the author states that infection with HIV was once nearly always fatal but fails to mention that this is no longer true due to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Thirdly, the article implies that there are no other strategies for killing dormant virus when in fact several have been tried and some have shown promise. Lastly, the author states that CRISPR could potentially be turned into a form of gene therapy but fails to mention any potential risks or limitations associated with this technology.
The title suggests that CRISPR could cure HIV when it only shows promise of disabling dormant virus.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the work of other researchers without providing any evidence or context for their findings. Additionally, the author makes a false dilemma when stating that there are only two options for treating HIV: taking medication every day or having no treatment at all.
The strategy uses a relatively recent genetic technique called CRISPR, which can make cuts in DNA to introduce errors into viral genetic material within immune cells.
Several groups are investigating using CRISPR that targets a gene in HIV as a way of disabling dormant virus.
There's still a fair amount of uncertainty about whether there are other reservoirs in other parts of the body.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement that suggests the possibility of using CRISPR to cure HIV. The author uses language like 'pivotal advancement towards designing a cure strategy' and quotes researchers saying things like 'For a cure, we need some way of killing any dormant virus in the body'. This implies that there is an expectation or hope for finding a solution to this problem using CRISPR.
Researcher Elena Herrera Carrillo at the University of Amsterdam says in a statement,
The author uses language like 'pivotal advancement towards designing a cure strategy'
Scientists have successfully eliminated HIV from infected cells in what has been hailed as a significant breakthrough in the race for a cure. Using 'genetic scissors', experts were able to snip out the virus from infected T cells in the laboratory, removing all traces.
The work is due to be presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona next month.
Accuracy
Scientists want to develop a treatment which can stop it evading the body's immune system. Using the Crispr genome-editing technique, researchers at Amsterdam UMC, the Netherlands, honed in on the part of the virus which is same across all known HIV strains.
Several groups are investigating using CRISPR that targets a gene in HIV as a way of disabling dormant virus. Now, Carrillo and her team have shown that when tested on immune cells in a dish, their CRISPR system could disable all virus, eliminating it from these cells.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title suggests that HIV can be completely eliminated from cells using gene editing tool when in fact it only mentions that researchers have eliminated HIV DNA from infected cells but not necessarily cured the disease. Secondly, the author claims that this study represents a pivotal advancement towards designing a cure strategy when there is no evidence to suggest so. Thirdly, the article uses sensationalist language such as 'raising hopes of a cure' and 'proof of concept', which can be misleading for readers.
Author claims this study represents a pivotal advancement towards designing a cure strategy
The title suggests that HIV can be completely eliminated from cells using gene editing tool
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. Firstly, the author makes an appeal to authority by stating that Crispr-Cas won the Nobel Prize in 2020 without providing any context or explanation of what this means for HIV research. Secondly, there is a dichotomous depiction of HIV as both being able to infect different types of cells and tissues in the body but also having parts that stay constant across all known strains. This creates confusion about the nature of the virus and its potential targets for treatment. Thirdly, there are several instances where inflammatory rhetoric is used to describe the importance of finding a cure for HIV, such as
The study authors said their aim is to develop a robust and safe Crispr-Cas regimen,
Bias
(85%)
The article is biased towards the idea of a cure for HIV. The author uses language that implies that finding a cure is imminent and possible with Crispr-Cas technology.
The study authors said their aim is to develop a robust and safe Crispr-Cas regimen,
> Using a gene-editing tool known as Crispr-Cas, which won the Nobel Prize in 2020, scientists were able target HIV DNA, removing all traces of the virus from infected cells. <br> > These findings represent a pivotal advancement towards designing a cure strategy.
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Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of HIV cure as they are reporting on research conducted by Dr Elena Herrera-Carrillo who won the Nobel Prize in 2020 for her work. The article also mentions Yuanling Bao and Zhenghao Yu, both of whom have financial ties to gene editing tools such as Crispr-Cas.
Dr Elena Herrera-Carrillo won the Nobel Prize in 2020 for her work on HIV cure
The article mentions Yuanling Bao and Zhenghao Yu, both of whom have financial ties to gene editing tools such as Crispr-Cas.
HIV virus can be eliminated from infected cells using CRISPR-Cas gene editing technology
CRISPR-Cas genome editing tool provides a new means to target HIV DNA
The researchers are searching for a way to target HIV in all types of cells and tissues in the body, each with its own unique environment and characteristics.
HIV can infect different types of cells and tissues in the body, making it extremely difficult to eliminate. Numerous potent antiviral drugs are currently used for treating HIV infection.
The CRISPR-Cas genome editing tool aims to develop a robust and safe combinatorial regimen that strives for an inclusive 'HIV cure for all' capable of inactivating diverse HIV strains across various cellular contexts.
By focusing on conserved sections of the virus genome, the approach aims to provide a broad-spectrum therapy capable of combatting multiple HIV variants effectively.
The size and logistical challenges associated with using large vectors for delivering therapeutic CRISPR-Cas reagents into cells were addressed by trialing various techniques to reduce vector size.
HIV reservoir cells that 'rebound' when antiretroviral treatment is stopped were targeted by focusing on specific proteins found on the surfaces of these cells (CD4B and CD32aB).
The authors emphasize that their work represents proof of concept, and will not become a cure for HIV tomorrow.
Next steps involve optimizing delivery routes to target majority of HIV reservoir cells. Combination with receptor-targeting reagents is planned in preclinical models to study efficacy and safety aspects.
Accuracy
HIV can infect different types of cells and tissues in the body
Deception
(95%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(85%)
The article presents a study that uses CRISPR-Cas gene editing technology to eliminate all traces of the HIV virus from infected cells in the laboratory. The authors used molecular scissors (CRISPR-Cas) and two gRNAs against conserved HIV sequences to achieve cure of HIV-infected T cells. However, they faced challenges such as reducing the size of the vector system for easier transport and targeting hidden HIV reservoir cells by focusing on specific proteins found on their surfaces. The study represents proof of concept but requires further optimization before it can be used in humans to disable the HIV reservoir.
The authors used molecular scissors (CRISPR-Cas) and two gRNAs against conserved HIV sequences, meaning they focused on parts of the virus genome that stay the same across all known HIV strains.
Bias
(85%)
The article presents a study that uses CRISPR-Cas gene editing technology to eliminate all traces of the HIV virus from infected cells in the laboratory. The authors aim to develop a robust and safe combinatorial CRISPR-Cas regimen that can inactivate diverse HIV strains across various cellular contexts, including those with unique environments and characteristics. They used molecular scissors (CRISPR-Cas) and two gRNAs against conserved HIV sequences to achieve cure of HIV-infected T cells by focusing on these conserved sections, which aims to provide a broad-spectrum therapy capable of combating multiple HIV variants effectively. The authors also trialed various techniques to reduce the size of the cassette and vector system for easier transport into infected cells. They evaluated various CRISPR-Cas systems from different bacteria to determine their effectiveness and safety in treating CD4+ T cells infected with HIV, sharing results from two systems, saCas9 and cjCas. The strategy of minimizing the vector size was successful, enhancing its delivery to HIV-infected cells. Moreover, they were able to target hidden HIV reservoir cells by focusing on specific proteins found on these cells (CD4+ and CD32a+). However, the authors emphasize that their work represents proof of concept only and will not become a cure for HIV tomorrow. They plan to optimize the delivery route to target the majority of the HIV reservoir cells, combine CRISPR therapeutics with receptor-targeting reagents, move to preclinical models to study in detail the efficacy and safety aspects of a combined cure strategy, achieve preferential CRISPR-Cas delivery to reservoir cells and avoid delivery into non-reservoir cells. This strategy is aimed at making this system as safe as possible for future clinical applications.
The study presents a significant breakthrough in the search for an HIV cure using CRISPR-Cas gene editing technology.
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Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Science X has a conflict of interest on the topic of HIV as they are reporting on research conducted by Dr. Elena Herrera-Carrillo and Yuanling Bao who have financial ties to Zhenghao Yu's company, Pascal Kroon.
Dr. Elena Herrera-Carrillo is a cofounder of the biotechnology company Zhenghao Yu founded.
