Disease Presentation

By Brenden You, Pokie S., Colon M., and Ton N.

Current Problem with HIV Virus

HIV is an incurable virus that was very common in the 80s. However, people still have it and it is
still a problem.

AIDS is a cause of the HIV virus that breaks down the immune system, leaving the body
vulnerable to other infections such as cancer.

HIV enters the body through open cuts, sores, or breaks in the skin; through mucous
membranes, such as those inside the anus or vagina; or through direct injection.

The most common transmission of the HIV virus is through sexual intercourse.

Previously Attempted Solutions

Currently, modern medicine has made HIV very easy to live with. However, there is still no cure
for it and even with treatment is still transferable without safety precautions.

The medicine is very expensive, the estimated average cost for treating AIDS for the rest of a
persons life is more than $500,000.

It has many common side effects such as: anemia, nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea,
constipation, vomiting, dizziness, insomnia, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, and
hypersensitivity reaction.

What Should be Done

There are people who are immune to the HIV virus. Their white blood cells are immune to the
virus.

This mutation , Delta32, keeps a protein called CCR5 from rising to the surface of the immune
systems T cells. When CCR5 is on the surface of the cell, HIV is able to latch onto it and infect
the cell; when it is not, the cells door is effectively closed to HIV.

We propose that scientists should express extra interest studying those white blood cells.

Proposed Solution

From the studying that we have done, scientists should extract white blood cells from people
who have the immunity.

Those proteins should be implemented into the people with HIV blood stream.

Virtual Mentor

We contacted 2 scientists to discuss our project.

David Ho

Anthony Fauci

Unfortunately none of them responded to our email.

Citations

http://www.hivplusmag.com/research-breakthroughs/2016/3/23/anyoneimmune-hiv
http://aidsresearch.org/cure-research/
http://www.oar.nih.gov/hiv_aids_information/index.asp
http://www.liebertpub.com/overview/aids-research-and-humanretroviruses/2/

Gracias!
De nada