Cell and Gene Therapy

Transforming Cells into Molecular Assassins The conventional approach to vaccination involves training the immune system to fight an infection. But the Researchers at Scripps Research Institute in California have derived a new technique that involves altering the DNA in order to give cells anti-HIV capabilities. A discovery that potentially could lead to a new therapy for patients as well as an alternative to a vaccine. Problem with HIV Usually when a cell has been infected by a virus, enzymes chop up the viral proteins into short peptides which combine with HLA proteins in Endoplasmic reticulum. These are then transferred to the surface of the infected cell, labelli...