Aids Treatment

Because there is no vaccine for virus.

That said, there is some interesting research being had with SIV and primates, although this isn't really related to vaccines, per se.

Look up Dr. Royal Raymond Rife, He found a cure for the virus way back in the 30's

Wow. Marketing department at GlaxoSmithKline, eat your heart out.

Gee, I thought the small pox vaccine was pretty successful.

I reacted that way, thinking immediately of flu vaccines - but I think tylerdvorzak is talking about the aids virus.

Probably. If only he had said "the virus" instead of virus alone. . . .

AIDS is a retrovirus. It binds itself directly into the DNA of the infected cells, often white blood cells. Thus, the high probability of infection through blood transfusions. Once infection has occurred, it is very difficult for an immune reaction to expel the virus without killing the cell. To my knowledge, the only retrovirus for which an effective vaccine has been developed if FeLV, Feline Leukemia Virus. That one came about around twenty years ago, and I don't know of any further significant advances since. It will happen, but breakthroughs of that sort don't come around every day.

I was just attempting to post a response and it, for whatever reason was lost.
I am glad you beat me to it, though, because it sounds like you have a better understanding than I do...so I can ask you a few questions.

Yes, but the fact that it is a retrovirus doesn't answer the question, right? For a vaccine to work, the body just needs to create enough of the right antibodies, right? It is my understanding that the problem with HIV, is that for whatever reason, the body doesn't carry out the antibody production effectively, right? Sparing infected cells is never an option, with any virus...just stopping replication is, right?

This is why SIV/green monkey research is important...they carry the virus but don't get sick.

By the way, I appreciate the discussion and education.

I'm not an expert on retroviruses, tyler, but my perception is that the method of infection is the real problem with vaccine development. Most viruses replicate within the cell nucleus or cytoplasm (depending upon whether they are DNA- or RNA-based), but retroviruses, I think, replicate through cell division, since they become part of the cell's DNA. For whatever reason, that mechanism seems to be the key, and the challenge. As I said, FeLV vaccine is the only effective one for retroviruses currently being produced, so the solution is possible, but difficult. I could be wrong on this one, though....I'm much more familiar with pestiviruses and a few other classes.