Emerging Viruses-Aids & Ebola - By Leanard ... - preterhuman.net

Chapter 6Galloʹs Research Anthology: The AIDSBuck and Virus Stops HereEARLY the next morning, I made my way to Countway'sCumulated Index Medicus to look up all of Gallo's early work. Istarted my search in 1965, figuring it would have taken him atleast five years to establish himself as an expert in the field ofretrovirology by 1970. The 1965 and 1966 year-books citednothing of Gallo's efforts, but 1967 held two such references inwhat became a long list of Gallo publications. By days end, Iheld a stack of nearly forty research reports published by Galloand coworkers before 1975.It took me about two weeks of reading, with frequent referencingof medical texts for explanations to technical information that Ifound difficult to understand. My earlier lessons in biochemistry,cell physiology, genetics, and virology all needed refreshing.With my head buried in scientific literature, I saw very little ofmy family those weeks.I began my review of Gallo's papers by organizing themchronologically. I read each paper, highlighted important detailsin yellow, then noted the purpose, conclusions, and potentialrelevance to the development of AIDS-like viruses. In the end, Iheld six pages of tables summarizing the data (see fig. 6.8).Introduction to RetrovirologyA fundamental understanding of what HIV is and how it works isrequired before discussing the development of AIDS-like virusesby Gallo and his coworkers.The AIDS virus is an extremely unique germ. Most astonishing isthat it incorporates elements that cause normal white blood cells(WBCs) to produce more viruses through a somewhat unnaturaland uniquely backward process.One of HIV's main components is a single chain of geneticmaterial. This single strand is called RNA, short for ribonucleicacid. It comprises sugars combined with chemical (molecular)rings called purines and pyrimidines (see fig. 6.2).After the virus gets into a T4lymphocyte or CD4 helper cell (atype of WBC), its RNA genetic code directs the blood cell toproduce a similar nucleic acid chain called DNA, short fordeoxyribonucleic acid. DNA is the genetic blueprint all cells useto reproduce normally.DNA directs the manufacture of all new proteins and other cellparts, including RNA. In the case of an RNA retrovirus infection,however, this natural direction is commandeered to run inreverse. In this case, the viral RNA directs the manufacture of