scitable/blog/viruses101/hiv_resistant_mutation?isForcedMobile=Y

"Could the Black Death protect against HIV?
People who survived the Black Death could have passed on a mutation that prevents the human immunodeficiency virus entering cells. [...] The mutation occurs on the gene for CCR-5, a receptor on the surface of macrophages. When a person becomes infected with HIV, the virus latches onto CCR5 and another protein — CD-4 — to be transported inside the macrophages.

CCR-5 is disabled in people with the full mutation, and so HIV is unable to gain access to the macrophages. If an individual inherits the mutant gene from both parents, they are essentially immune to HIV infection. People with one mutant and one normal gene can be infected, but tend to survive longer than infected people with two normal CCR-5 genes. It seems as though people without the mutation, called CCR5-Δ32, were killed by the Black Death, so that those with the mutation survived to reproduce and increase its prevalence today."

The-scientist

That’s hilarious

Freaky...

👀

Due to the selection pressures of the plague the mutation is more prevalent in European populations

Still not enough

yeah, it's a very small population

It's probably a weak link
Or these people have all in all a better immune system

As tfm said
The black death primarily killed off the poor population (with poor hygiene)

There are disadvantages with the CCR5-Δ32, but I don't remember what those were.

It might kill the protein's function

"It is likely that CCR5 plays a role in inflammatory responses to infection, though its exact role in normal immune function is unclear. Regions of this protein are also crucial for chemokine ligand binding, the functional response of the receptor, and HIV co-receptor activity." - wikipedia

"CCR5 Δ32 has an (heterozygote) allele frequency of 10% in Europe, and a homozygote frequency of 1%.

Recent research indicates that CCR5 Δ32 enhances cognition and memory. In 2016, researchers showed that removing the CCR5 gene from mice significantly improved their memory.[43] CCR5 is a powerful suppressor for neuronal plasticity, learning, and memory; CCR5 over-activation by viral proteins may contribute to HIV-associated cognitive deficits." - also wikipedia

Hmm

Ah is that that gebe the Chinese edited out from the first gene edit babies?

dunno... probably.

I can remember, that they added some hiv immunity and one article stated it also may have enhanced their cognitive abilities

lol, they're Europeanizing their babies...

But I mean, a 10% allele frequency...
It seems it has some benefits, but it's not so strong that it spreads faster

I'm sure there's some decrease in macrophage activity or something... but, if not, if it's all good, then cool.

For as much immunology work I do, I'm woefully stupid on a lot of things.

I'm a biochemist, though... that's too big for me.

I like molecules.

Hehe cool

So, in general, on one hand, I think all the use of antibiotics etc just accelerated evolution of the bacteria, and there are a lot of multi resistant variants out there

And then comes the std epidemic on top of that size to hookup culture

I think even modern medicine won't be able to cope with that unless we get some nanobots which eliminate all the diseases

Plus, 10% is pretty good for less than 1000 years.

Bacteriophages, man... bacteriophages...

The best antibiotics will be bacteria-specific viruses... but it'll be a genetic arms race between bacteria and viruses, just like (naturally derived) antibiotics were an arms race between bacteria and fungi.

But, there's a serious bioethics question about unleashing a transgenic bacteriophage into the wild...

I doubt it's a problem though.

*creates zombie virus*

"oops"

(j/k)

(unless you're a bacterium)

yeah ok, bateriophages are basically a precursor of nanobots
why creating it ALL when there is actually an "infrastructure" there, which can attack bacteria

but the point remains, it is still an arms race, unless you have the 80, 90 or 99% solution

I mean, I'd be totally ok wiping out mosquitos, I HATE these things
nature will probably find a new equilibrium after they are gone
(probably same with flies) ...

also there are a lot of interesting ethical questions,
I'm ok with humans asserting dominance over their surroundings /nature, that's what we evolved to do (mainly by removing the dangers)

but when we continue playing that game, with transgenic babies/humans ...
and we include more and more other genes, which make us stronger, increase our abilities, etc ...
is there a point, where they basically stop being "human" and are a new species ?