主页 > 医学信息 >
【bio-news】耶路生物学家“诱骗”病毒灭绝
02/23/07 -- While human changes to the environment cause conservation biologists to worry about species extinction, Yale biologists are reversing the logic by trying to trap viruses in habitats that force their extinction, according to a report in Ecology Letters.
To avoid going extinct a population must not only survive, but also reproduce. Paul Turner, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale, tested the practicality of luring a virus population into the wrong cells within the human body, thus preventing virus reproduction and alleviating disease.
"Ecological traps for viruses might arise naturally, or could be engineered by adding viral binding sites to cells that disallow virus reproduction," said senior author Turner. "We proved the concept using a non-human virus, and variants of the bacteria cells it infects."
In ecology, a habitat that supports population growth is termed a "source," whereas a non-supportive habitat is a "sink." This study reported on the success of phi-6 virus populations in environments containing different mixtures of ordinary "source" bacteria and mutant trap cells that act as "sinks."
Their research showed that when the number of trap cells exceeded a key threshold in the mixtures, the virus population could no longer sustain itself and declined toward extinction.
"This approach has intriguing potential for new treatments against human viruses," said Turner. "A similar idea already exists in agriculture, where farmers use non-harvested 'trap crops' to lure insect pests. Because the pests prefer the taste of the trap crops, only these plants need to be sprayed, reducing the amount of pesticide use."
Turner believes that similar trickery might be used against human viruses like HIV. He notes that HIV recognizes the T-cells it infects by CD4 molecules on the cell surface, but it then requires functions of the cell nucleus to reproduce. Current anti-HIV therapies are designed to maintain high T-cell counts in the human body, so that the immune system can properly function. But, these drugs therapies are very expensive.
Turner suggests, "A cheaper option is the possibility of engineering trap cells that have CD4 molecules on their surface, but no nucleus for virus reproduction. Mature red blood cells could fill the bill, because they lack a nucleus and could be engineered as sink habitats that greatly outnumber the T-cell source habitats in the body."
Source: Yale University
http://www.bio.com/newsfeatures/newsfeatures_research.jhtml?cid=26400019 本人已认领该文编译，48小时后若未提交译文，请其他战友自由认领。 【bio-news】耶路生物学家“诱骗”病毒灭绝
Yale Biologists 'Trick' Viruses Into Extinction
02/23/07 -- While human changes to the environment cause conservation biologists to worry about species extinction, Yale biologists are reversing the logic by trying to trap viruses in habitats that force their extinction, according to a report in Ecology Letters.
根据生态学通讯上的报告，当人类改变环境引起生物学家担心物种灭绝时，耶鲁生物学家正在反向思维设法诱骗栖息地病毒促使它们灭绝。
To avoid going extinct a population must not only survive, but also reproduce. Paul Turner, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale, tested the practicality of luring a virus population into the wrong cells within the human body, thus preventing virus reproduction and alleviating disease.
避免种群灭绝不仅必须生存，而且要繁殖。耶鲁的生态学和生物进化学副教授Paul Turner测试了诱骗一个病毒种群进入人体失常细胞的实用性，因此防止病毒繁殖和减轻疾病。
"Ecological traps for viruses might arise naturally, or could be engineered by adding viral binding sites to cells that disallow virus reproduction," said senior author Turner. "We proved the concept using a non-human virus, and variants of the bacteria cells it infects."
第一作者Turner说：对病毒生态学的诱骗可能自然发生，或者通过增加病毒对细胞的结合位点来设计以阻止病毒复制。我们用一种非人类病毒验证这种想法，这种病毒感染不同的细菌细胞。
In ecology, a habitat that supports population growth is termed a "source," whereas a non-supportive habitat is a "sink." This study reported on the success of phi-6 virus populations in environments containing different mixtures of ordinary "source" bacteria and mutant trap cells that act as "sinks."
在生态学上有助人口增长的栖息地被称为“源”，而无支持性的环境称为“汇”。这项研究报道了在包含不同普通“源”细菌和充当“汇”作用的突变体诱骗细胞的混合物环境中phi-6 病毒群的成功。
阅读本文的人还阅读：
作者:admin@医学,生命科学 2011-02-13 05:11
医学,生命科学网