GS Paper 3
Syllabus: Science and Technology: Biotechnology
Source: Indian Express, Nature
Context: The man referred to as the “Dusseldorf patient” became the third person to have been “cured of HIV” after a bone marrow transplant carrying a specific HIV-resistant – CCR5 delta 32 genetic mutation.
What is CCR5 mutation and how does it fight off HIV?
- HIV mainly targets and damages CD4 immune cells in the body, reducing the body’s ability to defend against infections. The virus enters the CD4 cells through CCR5 receptors on their surface, but the CCR5-delta 32 mutation prevents the formation of these receptors, making it impossible for HIV to enter the cells. (Refer to the infographic given below)
- Only 1% of people worldwide have two copies of the CCR5-delta 32 mutation, while 20% of people have one copy of the mutation, which is more common in those of European ancestry. People with the mutation are highly resistant to HIV infection.
Current treatments for HIV:
- There are no cures for the infection at present, but the disease can be managed using antiretroviral therapy.
- These medicines suppress the replication of the virus within the body, allowing the number of CD4 immune cells to bounce back.
- If left untreated, the virus destroys a person’s immune system and they are said to be in the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome stage (AIDS) where they get several opportunistic infections that may result in death.
Earlier works on the CCR5 gene:
- A Chinese scientist edited the genomes of twins to remove this CCR5 gene in an attempt to make them immune to HIV. Their father was living with HIV.
- He faced immediate backlash from the scientific community and legal action. This is because guidelines for genetic editing prohibit germ-line editing – editing a genome that can be passed from one generation to the other – as the editing techniques are not very precise and the long-term consequences of such editing are unknown.
Insta Links:
Mains Link:
Why is there so much activity in the field of biotechnology in our country? How has this activity benefitted the field of biopharma? (UPSC 2018)
What are the research and developmental achievements in applied biotechnology? How will these achievements help to uplift the poorer sections of society? (UPSC 2021)
Prelims Link: UPSC 2020
Consider the following statements:
- Genetic changes can be introduced in the cells that produce eggs or sperm of a prospective parent.
- A person’s genome can be edited before birth at the early embryonic stage.
- Human-induced pluripotent stem cells can be injected into the embryo of a pig.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 2 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: D
