Headline Of The Week Weak

"Tobacco plant virus may yield HIV drug
Bug could help produce drug called griffithsin, which may prevent infection"

Yay, progress! CLICK HERE to read the article accompanying this headline.

Tobacco plant virus may yield HIV drug
Bug could help produce drug called griffithsin, which may prevent infection

The tobacco plant could soon redeem itself in the eyes of public health experts, say scientists who are producing huge amounts of a powerful but prohibitively expensive HIV drug inside modified tobacco leaves.

"This is very significant news," said Polly Harrison, Director of the Alliance for Microbicide Development, who was not involved with the research.

"So often it's difficult to make enough of a promising drug to even do laboratory studies, but here production is at a level that allows them to literally make tons of the drug," said Harrison.

Scientists have known for years that the drug, known as griffithsin, protects some people from HIV infection by stopping the virus from colonizing the vaginal lining.

What has prevented griffithsin from becoming a standard HIV preventive measure is the cost of producing it.

The only known naturally occurring source of griffithsin is a red algae found off the coast of New Zealand, which grows in amounts too small to be effectively harvested.

Scientists can produce larger amounts of griffithsin by genetically engineering E. coli bacteria to produce the drug, but maintaining the necessarily high temperatures, supplying the raw materials, and harvesting the drug is expensive.

Now scientists have turned to a virus, the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), that commonly infects tobacco plants.

TMV is rod-shaped, about 18 nanometers wide by 200 to 300 nanometers long. Once the virus enters a plant cell, it hijacks the cell's molecular machinery. Usually the hijacked plant cells are reprogrammed to produce more virus.

The scientists first mail-ordered a synthetic version of the red algae gene that produces griffithsin. They then injected that gene into the TMV, mixed it with water, and sprayed the virus over a greenhouse field of eight-inch-tall Nicotiana benthamiana, a close cousin of commercial tobacco plants that is especially susceptible to TMV.

After a few days the leaves of infected plants began to wilt. The scientists harvested the plants by hand and processed them to extract the griffithsin.

The research is published in this week's edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

The most effective way griffithsin can prevent HIV infection is in a vaginal cream applied before sex, said Kenneth Palmer, a researcher at Owensboro Cancer Research Program who was the corresponding author on the study.

A cigarette containing griffithsin hasn't been discounted either, said Palmer.

Posted: Apr 1, 2009 at 12:00 pm / Email this »

See All 48 Comments

48 comments to “Headline Of The Week Weak”

SweetKaraJ says – reply to this

1

Yay!
Wanna Milk Me? says – reply to this

2

yay! now perez you don't have to discriminate when you get your ass raped.
JoJoStar says – reply to this

3

You can also prevent AIDS by not getting screwed in the butt on a daily basis and not consuming loads of poppers and other drugs.
just-leaked.com says – reply to this

4

Herbs!!! I need some…
JigSaw says – reply to this

5

what is perez most afraid of? the answer is botchulism, bad meat in the can…
LizardKinG says – reply to this

6

Planning a like buggery this week Mario?
7exan grrl says – reply to this

7

if only they could make cigs healthy….I want my vitamins in the form of a cigarette
Hole says – reply to this

8

Re: JigSaw – Oh look who it is you fucking child rapist. Where is your loser wife Mel at? How much cum did you guzzle last night douche bag?
Long Dong Connery says – reply to this

9

Its almost time to start your pot plants……just a thought……….
Mario you homotard………
JigSaw says – reply to this

10

Re: Hole – asshole, why must you be suck a fucking dick? from now on you are dead to me you, shit for brains
Brianna says – reply to this

11

Definitely Yay! for progress. :]
notREID says – reply to this

12

maybe you should start smoking 'fags' you fucking shit packer
Bob Loblaw says – reply to this

13

Well, since no one can afford to smoke anymore (really 7 bucks a pack!?!) Virginia will have to think of something else to use the tobacco plants for….and this sound promising!
Melissa is always RIGHT says – reply to this

14

Re: Hole – FUCK OFF HOLE! HOW DARE YOU SPEAK THAT WAY TO MY MAN!!!!
Long Dong Connery says – reply to this

15

Is this true OG???????????
Long Dong Connery says – reply to this

16

Re: Wanna Milk Me? – Hey Hottie…. )
FearItself says – reply to this

17

Good news!
Long Dong Connery says – reply to this

18

….
JigSaw says – reply to this

19

Re: Melissa is always RIGHT – hey honey
Melissa is always RIGHT says – reply to this

20

Re: JigSaw – That fucker is a mess baby….MUAH!
jezebel_dawlin says – reply to this

21

Re: JoJoStar –
the gays could also stop being promiscuous sluts too. freedom of sexuality doesn't mean freedom to screw whoever you please w/o consequences…
Hole says – reply to this

22

Re: JigSaw – Why don't you learn how to write you fucking loser? I am guessing that you failed out of school and have no job. Don't forget to pick up your unemployment check today.
jezebel_dawlin says – reply to this

23

Re: JoJoStar –
i've read that gays purposely get AIDs so they have nothing to worry about…stupid fags. only man is creates disease to kill himself.
Melissa is always RIGHT says – reply to this

24

Re: JigSaw – ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
JigSaw says – reply to this

25

Re: Melissa is always RIGHT[/re] hey sweetness, that boy be one troubled mother fucker, guessing he forgot his meds today. needle dick the bug fucker is so fucking delusional. maybe his mother missed with the coat hanger
Hole says – reply to this

26

Re: Melissa is always RIGHT – You are a such a sappy little whore bag
topper says – reply to this

27

Now all the old bath houses can reopen!! Anyone for a dip?
Hole says – reply to this

28

Re: JigSaw – Yo Ebonnix…why don't you attempt to write like a human. because I seriously doubt you are from the fucking hood. Leave your fucking gangsta talk to you and your fat fucking wife.
DSummerfan says – reply to this

29

Anything that helps teens and other unresponsable people having sex without protection is progress these days !!!
Melissa is always RIGHT says – reply to this

30

Re: Hole – Maybe someday you'll be able to take that tiny dick of yours and make something of it and then be able to make a nice girl a sappy whore bag just like the Saw did………
Melissa is always RIGHT says – reply to this

31

Re: Hole – YOU WISH!!!! YOU BITTER SMALL MINDED THING YOU…..I STOPPED MY ADVANCES TOWARDS YOUR LOVE NOW YOU ARE LASHING OUT BECAUSE I CHOSE ANOTHER….THERE ARE PLENTY OF FISH IN THE SEA…….
Hole says – reply to this

32

Re: Melissa is always RIGHT – See…know you are being dumb. In this little fake world of yours. You and I both know that I could have an enormous dick or a small one. A typical guy would say he is huge but I am average. So you really would have no idea either way…
Now your loser friend there Jigsaw needs to stop molesting his cousin and fantasizing about korean boys. He is a sick man
Melissa is always RIGHT says – reply to this

33

Re: Hole – I fucking would never fantasize about no slant!!!!!!
LaLaLams says – reply to this

34

I find it quite ironic that the fix/cure comes from a plant the world in general hates so much.

I also wish to say that I wish the world would get off of it's HIGH HORSE and quit dictating what I can and cannot do.
Hole says – reply to this

35

Re: Melissa is always RIGHT – You are a demented person…I don't date fat chicks
topper says – reply to this

36

Re: The Warden –
That's not any different than what the straights do except there's no abortion required.
Melissa is always RIGHT says – reply to this

37

Re: Hole – WHO ASKED?
Pretty.shades says – reply to this

38

LOL! You wont post my comment!
KrazyKunoor says – reply to this

39

PEREZ HILTION, COME TO THE RESCUE!!!

Hi, my name is Kunoor Ojha, and I want you to come to the rescue.

Help Invisible Children, an organization committed to peace in Uganda, to stop the violence by putting your fame and influence to good use. Attend a rescue event at a city near you!

On April 25th, in thousands of cities, thousands of people will be abducting themselves to mimic the thousands of children abducted and forced to become child soldiers in Uganda.

I know that you are a person committed to doing good, as you often post worthwhile causes amid your celebrity gossip. As an avid perez reader, I know how many people you reach and that your influence is immense. I would be nothing short of thrilled if you would take time out of one day to attend a rescue event, and if you would promote Invisible Children's cause. You can find the organization's documentaries online on their website. Email back for more information.

Please attend a rescue event!
therescue.invisiblechildren.com

let us know
theresue@invisiblechildren.com

Thank you so much!!!
Mentalist says – reply to this

40

A couple of other good ways to avoid hiv/aidsis to keep your wick out of P–P Shoots and NOT to sleep with the most diseased human beings (hiv/aids) on the planet. Check Centers For Disease Control website to find out who these creatures are?
topper says – reply to this

41

Re: The Warden – #42
".this means that homos can continue to behave irresponsibly and continue bare backing."
I was responding to your quote about acting irresponsible by barebacking. I find it odd that people like yourself see HIV as a death sentence (which is not the case today) but aborting a baby as no death at all. Go figure.
JigSaw says – reply to this

42

Re: Hole – nah, the only thing you date is your hand fag boy
Firehouse713 says – reply to this

43

cool
Starlit says – reply to this

44

Ya I guess that virus would explain the horrible size of those plants-especially for already having flower blooming on top to be picked. But would be cool if it could help. I wish they could just find something that is easy to get their hands on.
Starlit says – reply to this

45

I'm shocked at all the gay offensive remarks and jokes on here! Don't you people have any morals and anything nicer to say?
jellotime91 says – reply to this

46

I can almost hear all of the sluts of the world that are taking their first puff of a cigarette now. haha

Here's to you, Kate Hudson, Miley Cyrus, and Zac Efron / Robert Pattinson
Drowningcat says – reply to this

47

Some people are so stupid, You think the only way to get AIDS is through the ass lol stupid people will say stupid things.
It is funny how the thing whcih may help the AIDS virus kind of attacks the tobacco plant a similar way AIDS attacks us.
b a t k i s s says – reply to this

48

Re: The Warden – Re: topper – National Institute of Health reports that women make up half of those infected with HIV worldwide.