Potential "cure" for viral infections

Discussion in 'Biology & Genetics' started by Idle Mind, Aug 15, 2011.

  1. Idle Mind What the hell, man? Valued Senior Member

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    This is pretty interesting:

    http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/antiviral-0810.html

    Thoughts? Are there viruses that this type of treatment would not work for?
     
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  3. Pete It's not rocket surgery Registered Senior Member

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    It could only work on viruses that use double stranded RNA (dsRNA).

    Viruses can be DNA or RNA based.

    I'm pretty sure that DNA viruses don't make dsRNA.

    RNA viruses can be single stranded or double stranded.
    I think that ssRNA viruses mostly have to make dsRNA as a replication step, but I seem to recall that retroviruses (like HIV) do not - they turn their ssRNA into ssDNA and go from there.
     
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2011
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  5. Idle Mind What the hell, man? Valued Senior Member

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    The researcher in the article seems to think that it should work for all viruses, but I don't know enough about the life-cycle of each type of virus to comment. Once upon a time I probably could have rattled mechanisms off, but my field of study has changed greatly since then and much of the details have long been forgotten.

    A quick wiki scan didn't really help clear things up, but I don't have the time at the moment as I'm at work.
     
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  7. leopold Valued Senior Member

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    wait a minute.
    DNA based?
    DNA based means it can replicate iself.
    the last i heard a virus cannot reproduce without the DNA from its host.
     
  8. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    DNA-based viruses also need the cells replication machinery in order to replicate.
     
  9. Believe Happy medium Valued Senior Member

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    I think that this would be great for the flu, but wouldn't it kill you if you had AIDS/Herpies where most of/ a butt load of your cells are infected with the virus?
     
  10. Varda The Bug Lady Valued Senior Member

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    If you have herpes, you'd probably end up with large chunks of insensitive tissue, right?
     

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