HIV vaccine from cats ?
LINK :
http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/cats-might-help-us-hiv-vaccine-231900318.html
Cats Might Help Us Make HIV Vaccine
By Newser | Healthy Living 10/3/13
(Newser) - The quest for an HIV vaccine might get a boost from cats, reports Medical News Today.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266911.php
Researchers studying the feline version of AIDS came across a tantalizing discovery: When they exposed a protein from the cat virus to the blood of HIV-positive humans, it triggered an immune response in the blood , explains HealthDay News.
"Surprisingly, we have found that certain peptides of the feline AIDS virus can work exceptionally well at producing human T cells that fight against HIV," says one of the study authors from the University of Florida.
With further research, scientists say they could translate that knowledge into the first effective HIV vaccine for people. "One major reason why there has been no successful HIV vaccine to date is that we do not know which parts of HIV to combine to produce the most effective vaccine," says the Florida scientist.
Now, it turns out, part of the solution might involve not HIV proteins, but FIV proteins, referring to feline immunodeficiency virus.
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OK , I'll 'fess up . The underlines in the article are my additions for point emphasis . Also the cat pic is my addition ... just because
This is quite interesting. Cats have had an FHIV vaccination for years now, and many in the gay community have said that doctors have been dragging their legs on a human equivalent. Now it seems that cats might be helping back.
BTW nice Bangle. He's musical, too!
I loves my kitties...
Living with cats is so wonderful! They keep me healthy, emotionally, for sure-- as do my puppies! Now, they may be able to further help mankind!
I hope that the cats used to help us are not harmed in any way!
By the way, the kitty in the picture is beautiful!!! Is he a Bengal?
Well ... the last time I asked a vet about that they told me there were many varieties of FIV and they couldn't vaccinate against all of them . As to the gay community I suppose the problem is that this nasty retrovirus keeps modifying its genetic code . At least that's what I recall from prior articles .
This brings up an interesting question : If HIV is a retrovirus is FIV also one ?
That picture is def my fav musical cat . I'm not sure if he has soul though ...
Judging by the article all they take from an infected cat is a small blood sample in order to extract some peptides from the virus . That doesn't sound too painful ...
The little guy is indeed a beauty and a Bengal . I also saw a male even though there is no anatomical evidence to go by ... I wonder why ...
BTW congrats on another excellent homemade video :
I'm with you there Raven . As I said to Dowser above it seems that all they require of the infected cats is a little blood sample . That would not be a big stressor to the cats ...
Thanks so much! I've been working on it for a while...
I hoped it was funny, and bring a smile to some faces!
Well, that is one darling kitty! They are so cute when they are babies... All legs and ears!
Thanks, Petey-- I'm glad we're friends!
Dowser ,
It was a fun video . Also feel free to post cat pics here if you have some you want to share ...
Interesting article, Petey. I don't know if it, too, could be a retrovirus, but it could act similar in cats. I'm guessing, you know. The cat on the piano is so magnificent looking; very exotic.
Is the cat's name Liberace?
That's a great name for a band .... the Straight Cats.
You asked and I found!
Bengals are quite exotic ... with the price tag to match !
What was Liberace's name before he became famous ?
Not surprised! Thanks!
Cats can't play the piano!
(Or can they....?)
Maybe not, but can he play any of the songs from the Broadway musical "Cats"?
Thufir Hawat, the mentat in Dune, was captured by Baron Harkonnen and poisoned, requiring him to milk a cat and use the fluid as a daily antidote to stay alive.