City of Hope Team Develops

¶ … City of Hope team develops "smart bomb" to neutralize HIV"

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_17175794?source=rss

Research Biologists at the City of Hope reportedly have struck proverbial 'gold' in the pursuit of a means to prevent the proliferation of HIV to other cells and to inhibit HIV within the host cell. The experimental treatment has been inoculated into what lead author Rossi terms as 'humanized' laboratory mice to determine whether the expected results would be achieved. The experiments lasted for several years, with administering of treatments once per week over the course of several weeks.

According to the head of the study, John Rossi, "There was no detectable virus during injection, and it doesn't come back to its normal level after." The efficacy of the treatment appears colossal as there is currently not a treatment on the market that essentially renders the HIV inactive. Rossi's team has been achieving incremental progress throughout the course of the research and appears to have found the so-called HIV kryptonite. According to Paula Cannon, a genetic therapies researcher and a colleague of Rossi, "What they've developed is a two-part warhead, and either part works very well. Now, in this study, they show the latest actually works really well in the context of a live animal which is a huge step."

The treatment works by utilizing the designed RNA sequence referred to as the "aptamer," which relies on delivering small RNA molecules (siRNA) to the cell. These particular RNA molecules are able to target and prevent the genes that HIV attaches and controls to self-replicate. The RNA sequence attacks the virus and inserts an influx of siRNA into the cell to disable the HIV from replication.

The article appears to be accurate in its description and portrayal of the treatment and its efficacy. These researchers are certainly highly regarded biologists in their field and ostensibly they've produced a reputable study. The scientific methodology involving observation, hypothesis testing, experimentation, findings, and conclusion, appear to be followed in great detail. More importantly, the time line of the study is sufficient to point to a large body of data generated with regard to the results of the treatment.

The scope of this research will affect most everyone's life, across the globalized world we share. Certainly, not all have HIV however, all are subject to being at-risk of contracting the virus and therefore the ability to prevent the spread of the virus is a tremendous breakthrough. The researchers also indicate progress toward what is essentially a cure to the disease. The fruits of this research have led to progress in other pertinent research, a benefit of initially conducting the research. Biology is the function of the human system and its interaction with environmental variables. This newspaper article captures and defines the most intricate of virus' and the ability of the body to produce its own cure, essentially, with the aid of human manipulation.

"U.S. Bioethics Commission Gives Green Light to Synthetic Biology"

Source: The New York Times. December 16, 2010 Thursday. Byline: Andrew Pollack

A new field has emerged within the subject of biology -- synthetic biology. Through the manipulation of DNA, new organisms can be created, a type of synthetic creation similar to the idea behind the genetic manipulation of the famous cloned sheep, Dolly. As with any new development in the sciences, the presidential commission on bioethical behavior has analyzed and ruled on this particular case and ruled against instituting further restrictions via regulation on activities related to synthetic biological research.

The committee based its ruling on the premise that the program cannot be too harmful considering its relative infancy in development. A report released by the commission provides recommendations to enable the synthetic biologists to self-govern their activity and for greater coordination between federal agencies that have oversight authority over this type of research and the synthetic biological research scientists.

The commission does not want to hold a moratorium due to the stagnation of beneficial research that may be produced by scientists delving into this field. Rather than risk the potential reduction of scientific knowledge from such research, the commission proposed the research continue with strict oversight by the researchers involved and further corroboration with appropriate federal agencies. A number of incredible benefits are developing from the research into this nascent field. The engineering of microorganisms is being performed to produce biofuels and develop medication to treat malaria. Conceptually, the dream is to reduce the carbon footprint by reducing global dependency on fossil fuel usage. The development of a bio-economy capable of supplying the world's energy demand is where the synthetic biologists wish to take this the next step. Additionally, biologists are able to develop a sort of biological acolyte from the principles of synthetic biology, involving synthesizing DNA in combination with the raw building blocks of genetics. A new platform for different biological life form is essentially, what these biologists have discovered.

According to commission chairwoman, and the president of the University of Pennsylvania, Amy Gutmann, "Here's something significant in science, but there's no cause for fear and dread about what is going to happen immediately next." The commission report recommended greater ethical constraint and greater collaboration. Amy Gutmann, further states that ethics training be mandatory for all researchers in the field.

Opponents of the report include Brent Erickson, an executive in the biotech industry. According to the New York Times, Mr. Erickson called the report "reasonable, well balanced and insightful." He further states that synthetic biology "is not something radically new and threatening, but is part of an ongoing continuum of biotech innovation that has resulted in safe and successful products and public benefits for the past 15 or 20 years." (Pollack, 2010) a letter drafted by a consortium of a global network of environmental groups conjoining on this topic stating to officials, "the commission's lack of attention to the ecological harms posed by synthetic biology is irresponsible and dangerous, self-regulation amounts to no regulation." (Pollack, 2010)

The article is important as the beginning of a long dialogue in the area of bio ethics. Synthetic biology has the potential to dramatically affect the life of every individual on this planet by conceiving bio fuels and new drugs for debilitating diseases. The relevance of this topic to the course is in the development of the field into a new frontier.

"Awaiting Genome Payoff"

Source: www.nytimes.com June 15, 2010 Tuesday

Byline: Andrew Pollack

At Merk's "automated biotechnology facility" (Pollack, 2010) at North Wales, PA, scientists are utilizing robots to study individual cell activity when human genes are manipulated to be 'on and off'. The goal of the research is to determine which genes are connected to specific diseases as a means to create medication to counteract.

The human genome project is an ambitious project to map the function of each of 22,000 genes within the human body. The new research is a byproduct of this project and therefore is considered risky and potentially rendering no useful treatment or information. Although the activity of the research is at its infancy, there is a perception that time will prove the sweat and effort to be worthwhile. Drugs derived from the genome project are just now making their way to the market for distribution. The cancer designed genomic drugs, designed specifically to interact with genetic abnormalities to reduce tumor growth in cancer patients.