Not the Cure for AIDS

Humanities

Current Event #3:

Not the Cure for AIDS

from cnn.com

http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2008/11/14/not-the-cure-for-aids/

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What is the news story about?

This article is about a patient who, after a bone marrow transplant, appeared to not only have his cancer go away as a result, but also the virus that causes AIDS. This successful transplant has become known world-wide, but still, doctors are questioning if this one success would mean a cure for AIDS. If it were, it would be a world-changing discovery in the medical world.

What is its significance?

 

Although it is interesting, an AIDS top expert in America doesn't think so. "This is interesting but not a practical application. It's not feasible and has extraordinary limited practical application" long-time AIDS researcher and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN. 

While reading this article, I've also found some interesting caveats or warnings that are featured in this story:

1. Although the tests came up positive for the patient who had the successful bone marrow transplant that cured his cancer and seemingly, his AIDS, there is also a factor to be considered. HIV is known to be one of those diseases that are hidden very well, that are hard to discover until it decides to 'pop up' later. So it would be not justified to say that he is completely HIV-free.

2. There is a very very small chance that doctors can find two matching bone marrows with the same two genetic mutation from a donor. The probability is very small, only one percent and below. So, this would not be ideally realistic. 

3. Bone marrow transplants are risky and dangerous since during the transplant the immune system will stop working, so there is a big chance that the body cannot defend itself from potentially harmful diseases. There might also be a possibility that the immune system will reject the new cells that are injected into the body. This would result in the patient having to take immune-suppressing drugs for a lifetime. 

4. Bone marrow transplants are expensive and so would not be available for everyone. This would be a big problem since many AIDS victims are located in the poorer and developing countries.

Is there bias?

I don't think there is any bias, especially since this is a serious topic concerning a disease that concerns a lot of victims. There aren't any sides to take. Maybe if I had to decide on if there are sides to be taken, it would probably be if the doctors the cured the man of his AIDS and cancer, was truly convinced that the cure of AIDS was found. But other than that, I do not detect any bias.