Catch up on stories from the past week (and beyond) at the Slashdot story archive

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror

Comment Re:Translation, please. (Score 4, Informative) 185

Sox2 explained it pretty well, I'll try to dumb it down even more. Certain enzymes recognize patterns on DNA, and chop them right at that location. HIV is a virus that inserts itself into your DNA (unlike most viruses, which just use your cells resources to reproduce). The scientists evolved an enzyme that recognizes the sites on either side of the HIV, chops them up, and splices them back together--effectively removing the HIV. The reason it's "preliminary work" and not a magical cure is because the 'patterns' recognized by the enzymes (and the enzymes themselves) were morphed into "fake" sites. In actuality, it's much harder to create enzymes that recognize the actual patterns of the HIV. In addition, these enzymes might find patterns elsewhere in DNA and accidentally chop up your DNA in the wrong locations, removing important parts of your DNA.

Slashdot Top Deals

"How many teamsters does it take to screw in a light bulb?" "FIFTEEN!! YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT?"

Working...