Ama-stem cells angelapha i-HIV maduzane

NgoJulayi 2014, uDkt. Hannah Gay waveza ukuthi ukwelashwa kwezinyanga ezingu-27 ayekusebenzisa ukuqeda i-HIV enganeni yase-Mississippi akuphumelelanga. Inqubekelaphambili yomntwana yayinhle njengoba amakhophi e-HIV ehla njengoba ukwelashwa kuqhubeka.

Ithimba le-Gay kanye nababhali bephephabhuku lezokwelapha eMelika yonkana bamemezele le ngane ukuthi iqukethe imodeli yokwelapha i-HIV, uma ingaphindwa. I-HIV efana nekamama wayo yabuyela enganeni inamakhophi angu-16,000: amaningi kakhulu ukuba angaphinde abuye. Odokotela bavumile ukuthi banqotshiwe.

U-Yuet Kan waseNyuvesi yaseCalifornia, eSan Francisco wathola indlela yokuguqula i-genome emzamweni wokuvikela ku-HIV. U-Kan ukholelwa ukuthi ukuguqulwa kwamaseli we-pluripotent stem cell (i-iPSCs) akhiqizwa yi-genome kungadala uguquko olungajwayelekile olumelana ne-HIV. Ngokuhlela i-genome, okususa ukulandelana kwe-DNA ethile futhi kufake enye, i-Kan ingashintsha amaseli we-stem ngohlelo lwe-CRISPR-Cas9.

Uhlelo lusebenza ngaphakathi kwamagciwane, luthatha izingcezu ze-DNA kumagciwane ahlaselayo bese lizihlanganisa ku-DNA yeseli. Amaseli angakwazi ukubona igciwane futhi alihlasele lapho ebonwa. Amaseli egazi amhlophe akhule esuka kuma-stem cells ashintshiwe ahlolwa futhi abonisa ukuthi amelana ne-HIV. Lolu hlelo lwe-CRISPR-Cas9 lusebenza kuphela ukuvimbela i-HIV. Lapho i-HIV isivele isemangqamuzaneni amhlophe egazi, ingane yaseMississippi ifakazele ukuthi izidakamizwa nokuhlasela amasosha omzimba akwanele. U-Gay nethimba lakhe bebesebenzisa umuthi wokwelapha one-antiretroviral enganeni yase-Mississippi.

Lokhu kwasiza ekulawuleni i-HIV, kodwa akuzange kwelaphe ngokugcwele. U-Kan usebenza ngendlela yokuguqula ama-iPSC abe ama-stem cells akha igazi, angakha zonke izinhlobo zamangqamuzana egazi uma edluliselwa emzimbeni.