New Stubstance May Halt Spread of AIDS, or... How Yogurt Will Save Us All -- Bio, Soc

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Scientists have discovered that bacteria in yogurt can be genetically modified to produce cyanovirin, an established anti-HIV drug.

Lactococcus lactis, a lactic acid producing bacterium, appears in many dairy products including yogurt and cheese. Additionally, L. lactis is found in the human vagina and stomach, where it fights off harmful bacteria.

The joint study was conducted by Bharat Ramratnam and colleagues of the Brown Medical School in Rhode Island and the Food Research Institute in the UK. The study's results will now be applied to monkeys in order to see if the bacterium truly prevents HIV infection.

Researchers are excited about the recent study because they believe the bacteria can treat peripheral areas of the body, including the mucosal regions of the vagina, to prevent HIV virus from spreading.

Women are known to acquire HIV infection through sex more easily than men. Peripheral use of microbicidesin the form of gels and creams can be effective without causing much burden on other parts of the body.

Needless to say, while this may seem to be more for women than men, taking half the population away as a potential vector for the disease would be an immense step forward. Particularly in regions such as Africa, where AIDS is achieving staggering levels of infection and massacring an entire generation of people.

Researchers believe in the future the new evidence could lead to a pill or yogurt substance that can fight HIV, and be widely distributed among the masses. In addition, this pill could be made affordable to many to fight off the HIV virus, especially in third world countries in Africa. However, Nature also reported that this distribution would not take place until 2007, at the earliest.

Yes, this is going to drive all of the anti-GM foods people nuts. But that's a small price to pay for all those lives, eh? =)


Future Imperative