Engineered Stem Cells Seek Out, Kill HIV In Living Organisms

Engineered Stem Cells
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Engineered Stem Cells
The HIV menace had been around for the last three decades. Over the years, HIV and AIDS have destroyed many homes due to stigmatization and death that has knocked on their doors too many a times. Ever since it’s spread in the 1980s, there has been trials and scientific research to try and find its cure with some success. The origin of gene therapy was in the 1970s where only monogenic inherited diseases were the primary target. For over three decades since the revelation of HIV-1, AIDS remains an outstanding general medical issue influencing more than 35.3 million individuals around the world (Murray et. al. 2014). Current antiviral treatment has neglected to annihilate HIV-1, halfway because of the diligence of viral supplies. This is because HIV interferes with the natural ability of the body to fight off diseases which make it very complicated to develop a vaccine against it. Just like any other, other virus, HIV gets into individual cells of the body and takes hostage their machinery and replicate itself. However, in copying the cells, the virus does not replicate the specific cells, but makes it sloppy, which makes it mutate very fast into different strains. It is therefore particularly difficult to control as it hijacks the white blood cells, which make up a crucial part of the immune system, and eventually kills them. In so doing, it wins over the immune system, throwing it into disarray. This, therefore, opens a leeway for other opportunistic diseases.
With the advancement of technology, there is renewed hope that a cure can be found. Engineered stem cells are the new approach to modern day science. Genetically engineered stem cells is a gene therapy that entails the transfer of genetics into a patient's tissues and organs (Wirth and Ylä-Herttuala, 2013). In gene therapy, diseased genes can be transplanted and replaced with standard malfunctioning genes, and the standard functioning of the tissue resumed. It does not only deal with replacing diseased cells but also the addition of new functions to the cells. Some of the cell function that can be improved include the production of the system mediator immune protein that assists in combating diseases such as cancer. This paper, therefore, aims to tackle gene therapy otherwise known as genetically engineered cells in the fight against the HIV in a move to find a permanent cure.
Gene therapy
Gene therapy can be a two-way traffic where cells can be transferred directly to the patient or by using the living cells as vehicles for transporting the normal genes. Direct gene transfer is relatively easier as it entails transferring the genes directly to the patient's tissues and immune system (Zwaka, 2006). This happens when the cells are packaged as ribosomes (these are cells that are spherical in shape and are made up of molecules that form the membrane of the cell) and fed into the immune system. Any other biological practice can be used for this transfer. Alternate methods are packaging the cells into genetically engineered viruses that are altered and redesigned biologically and are therefore not harmful to the body. This has been active for almost ten years, but the mere virtue of being simple adds up to be its biggest challenge. There are no means of applying this method for complicated cells and the control over sophisticated therapy is tough. This is because the transferred genes randomly integrate with those of the patients or can persist without integration for a period (Zwaka, 2006).
On the other hand, therapeutic cells can be delivered into the cells that are still living. This is a more complex alternative that involves a lengthy process. This is because the cells of the patients are isolated and propagated in a laboratory. After the isolation is complete, the gene from the healthy cells is introduced directly. After a long, vigorous process of testing whether or not they are compatible with those of the patient, they are transferred back to the patient. This method is of particular importance as these cells can be localized into specific parts of the body and help in the faster recovery compared to direct gene transfer. Gene therapy over the years has been used in trial treatments of cancer. The most common means of gene transfer is bone marrow transplant that has been employed in the recent years to treat cancer (Zwaka, 2006).
Adoption of Gene Therapy in HIV treatment
The gene therapy has therefore been adopted in the search for treatment for HIV. The current interest of this research is to develop a model of the therapeutic strategy that can be a lifelong remission for HIV/AIDS without patients having to use the daily drug treatment and ultimately derive a cure for HIV/AIDS. The main aim of this therapy is to reconstitute the makeup of the immune system of the patient by transplanting the genetically engineered hematopoietic cells with the HIV gene. These hematopoietic cells can re-engineer themselves and continually provide resistance to HIV and AIDS. Through a single transplant, the patient can have alifelong remission of HIV/AIDS as these cells can proliferate, differentiate and self-renew to fight the HIV (Pernet, Yadav, and An. 2016).
Gene therapy strategies
Strategy 1: RNA-based Suppressors
In this strategy, the RNA molecule is bound to the mRNA sequence which impedes the transportation of proteins. Without the carriage of the proteins, the gene is rendered nonfunctional as the primary function of the RNA is to transport the proteins. This strategy is used in the treatment of HIV by identifying the genes that contain the HIV-1. The genes are then coded with an antisense mRNA molecule which impedes the transportation of the HIV within the human body. Thus, they become nonfunctional. This reduces the number of HIV within the body which plays a great role in the lengthening of the life of the patient and boosting the body immunity against infections (Stan &Zaia, 2014). Also, ribozymes have been identified as useful in the gene therapy by combining them to specific RNA HIV-1 genes. They act by inactivating the HIV-1 RNAs. RNAi, which is naturally occurring in fungi and mammals has been identified for its ability to down-regulate the function of the HIV-1 RNAs. However, they are applied as siRNAs for them to produce positive results by providing a particular sequence of action on the HIV-1 RNAs, which downgrades the functioning of the virus (Stan &Zaia, 2014).
Strategy 2: Protein-based suppressors
The standard operation of the virus can be suppressed by use of trans-d...