Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: CCR5-delta 32 mutation

Mains level: Not Much

hiv

Central idea: This article discusses recent developments in the field of HIV research that have led to the possibility of a cure for the disease.

What is HIV/AIDS?

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases.
First identified in 1981, HIV is the cause of one of humanity’s deadliest and most persistent epidemics.
It is spread by contact with certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, most commonly during unprotected sex, or through sharing injection drug equipment.
If left untreated, HIV can lead to the disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
The human body can’t get rid of HIV and no effective HIV cure exists.

Present treatment of HIV

However, by taking HIV medicine (called antiretroviral therapy or ART), people with HIV can live long and healthy lives and prevent transmitting HIV to their sexual partners.
In addition, there are effective methods to prevent getting HIV through sex or drug use, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

Doctors selected a donor carrying two copies of a CCR5-delta 32 genetic mutation – a mutation that is known to make the carriers almost immune to HIV.
The CCR5-delta 32 genetic mutation is a rare genetic mutation that affects the CCR5 gene, which is involved in the immune system’s response to infection.
The mutation causes a deletion of 32 nucleotides in the gene, resulting in a truncated or shortened version of the CCR5 protein.
This truncated protein is not able to function normally, and people with this mutation are largely resistant to HIV infection.

Researchers have been studying the CCR5-delta 32 mutation as a potential avenue for developing an HIV cure.
One approach involves using gene editing technologies like CRISPR to induce the mutation in HIV-positive individuals, effectively making their immune cells resistant to HIV infection.
Another approach involves bone marrow transplantation from donors with the CCR5-delta 32 mutation.

Gene editing technologies like CRISPR are still in their early stages, and there are concerns about the safety and effectiveness of these methods.
Additionally, bone marrow transplantation is a complex and risky procedure that is not feasible for all HIV-positive individuals.
Finally, it is important to note that not all HIV infections are caused by the CCR5 strain of the virus, and therefore the use of the CCR5-delta 32 mutation as an HIV cure would not be effective for all cases of HIV.

As per the India HIV Estimation 2019 report, the estimated adult (15 to 49 years) HIV prevalence trend has been declining in India since the epidemic’s peak in the year 2000 and has been stabilizing in recent years.
In 2019, HIV prevalence among adult males (15–49 years) was estimated at 0.24% and among adult females at 0.20% of the population.
There were 23.48 lakh Indians living with HIV in 2019.
Maharashtra had the maximum at 3.96 lakh followed by Andhra Pradesh (3.14 lakh) and Karnataka.
ART is freely available to all those who require and there are deputed centres across the country where they can be availed from.