Study Gives Hope of Altering Genes to Repel H.I.V.
By Denise Grady,
The New York Times
| 03. 05. 2014
The idea of genetically altering people’s cells to make them resist the virus that causes AIDS may seem like a pipe dream, but a new report suggests it can be done.
The research involves the first use in humans of “gene editing,” a treatment that zeros in on a particular gene and disables it.
In 12 people infected with H.I.V., scientists used the technique to get rid of a protein on the patients’ immune cells that the virus must latch onto to invade the cells. Cells were removed from the patients, treated and then dripped back into their bloodstreams through an intravenous line.
In theory, if enough cells could be engineered to repel the virus, patients might no longer need antiviral drugs, and might in effect be cured.
The experiment was a pilot study, meant to test safety, not efficacy. It found that immune cells could be altered, and that doing so did not harm patients. The gene editing also seemed to help fight the infection in some cases, but the findings are preliminary and researchers cautioned that widespread use...
Related Articles
Media coverage of recent developments in embryo gene editing might seem to suggest that gene-edited babies are close to becoming a reality. As tech billionaires eager to profit off of techno-eugenics invest in “designer baby” technologies, attempts to normalize heritable genome editing – which remains unsafe and raises significant ethical and societal concerns – are especially dangerous. It’s worth taking a closer look at these developments and what they mean, in a way that pushes back on narratives normalizing the...
By Roxanne Khamsi, The Atlantic | 07.07.2026
When Ludivine Verboogen and Romain Alderweireldt’s third child was born in Belgium in late 2015, they marveled at his long fingers. Perhaps one day he will be a famous pianist, they thought. But soon Ludivine grew worried that her son...
By Carl Zimmer and Marco Hernandez , The New York Times | 07.01.2026
Scientists have long dreamed of discovering the alchemy by which chemicals can be turned into life. On Wednesday, a team at the University of Minnesota announced that it had taken a major step toward that vision.
Blending together dozens of...
By Michael Le Page , New Scientist | 06.25.2026
We now know the master gene that controls embryonic development in people. Called NANOG, its role has been identified by making precise changes to the DNA of fertilised eggs using a technique called CRISPR base editing.
The discovery might lead...
