Using Genetic Engineering to Vaccinate HIV
The Science Behind Our Idea
What is HIV?
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus; it has infected over 35 million people since its discovery in 1981. Of the 35 million people infected with HIV in 2013, 1.5 million of them were killed due to illnesses caused by HIV and AIDS. The brilliance of the HIV virus is that it does not kill the infected patient directly; rather, the virus weakens the immune system to the point where even the common cold could prove fatal.
CRISPR/Cas9 Technology
CRISPR/Cas9 is a new and revolutionary way to edit the genome of any living plant or animal. DNA is edited with CRISPR/Cas9 by using Cas9 endonuclease proteins. These Cas9 proteins are directed by guidance RNA to the specific target sequence which needs to be cut. CRISPR/Cas9 is accurate to a single nucleotide and is extremely flexible, allowing the scientist to theoretically change any trait or sequence in the genome.
CCR5-Δ32 mutation
CCR5-Δ32 is a deletion mutation of the 32 CCR5 co-receptor gene base pairs. It is a very beneficial mutation to have as it causes immunity to HIV. This mutant form of the gene produces a co-receptor so damaged that it no longer functions. HIV normally enters a cell via its CCR5 receptors, but in people with receptors crippled by the CCR5-Δ32 mutation, entry of HIV by this means is blocked and thus provides immunity.
How Our Idea Works