UCLA: Stem Cells Kill HIV

The study, published Dec. 7 in the-peer reviewed online journal PLoS One, provides proof-of-principle -- that is, a demonstration of feasibility -- that human stem cells can be engineered into the equivalent of a genetic vaccine.

"We have demonstrated in this proof-of-principle study that this type of approach can be used to engineer the human immune system, particularly the T-cell response, to specifically target HIV-infected cells," said lead investigator Scott G. Kitchen, assistant professor of medicine in the division of hematology and oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a member of the UCLA AIDS Institute. "These studies lay the foundation for further therapeutic development that involves restoring damaged or defective immune responses toward a variety of viruses that cause chronic disease, or even different types of tumors."

This is great news for a lot of fronts. Think of how much more we would know if ex President Bush wasn't so against science. Here's at least one thing we can look at as being brought about by real change. Thanks Obama, and fellow science lovers!