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This is great until the fallout is destroying all the potentially "good" viruses with which humans are infected. Little research has been done to determine the

This is great until the fallout is destroying all the potentially "good" viruses with which humans are infected. Little research has been done to determine the good bugs. You can guarantee lots of beneficial viruses will be identified once the adverse affects of their absence begins wreaking havoc.

sukuriant 15y ago
I came on to inquire precisely that. This would most likely kill the good viruses, too. What are they going to do to counteract those virii death?
- seclorum 15y ago
  I'm guessing they can target the virus RNA they're attempting to eradicate.
  - sukuriant 15y ago
    What I gathered from the article, though, was that this shortens a cell's self-checks before the cell itself self-destructs. There is no virus RNA being evaluated, that's still done by the cell. If I misunderstood the article and people's commons in this thread, please help me understand properly.
  - xanadohnt 15y ago
    No, you are correct, sukuriant. The mechanism here is working on the host cell. Which is precisely the point of the article. Past attempts at working on the virus directly have all but failed. That's why this method is so effective and promising. However, its effectiveness is also what makes it so scary.
  - xanadohnt 15y ago
    No, you are correct, sukuriant. The mechanism here is working on the host cell. Which is precisely the point of the article. Past attempts at working on the virus directly have all but failed. That's why this method is so effective and promising. However, its effectiveness is also what makes it so scary.
efuquen 15y ago
I've never heard of any 'good' viruses. I think you're applying the analogy of benefiical bacteria to viruses, assuming there must be beneficial viruses as well. In the artcile he somewhat addresses this by saying any cell infected by a virus will be killed at some point regardless, so DRACO wouldn't do any additional damage. Now, I think you're implying that there might be 'good' viruses that we haven't discovered yet. I feel like if that's the case then other animals would certianly have them as well and we would surely figure that out before we got to human trials.
- xanadohnt 15y ago
  Bacteriophages are one type of beneficial virus. The way biology goes I wouldn't be surprised if there are 100's/1000's more. The other complication is it's not necessarily binary whether an invasive agent is good or bad. Slightly tangible, but fascinating nonetheless: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/404/enemy-camp-2010 http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/404/e... Listen to the part about hook worms.

sukuriant 15y ago

I came on to inquire precisely that. This would most likely kill the good viruses, too. What are they going to do to counteract those virii death?

seclorum 15y ago
I'm guessing they can target the virus RNA they're attempting to eradicate.
- sukuriant 15y ago
  What I gathered from the article, though, was that this shortens a cell's self-checks before the cell itself self-destructs. There is no virus RNA being evaluated, that's still done by the cell. If I misunderstood the article and people's commons in this thread, please help me understand properly.
- xanadohnt 15y ago
  No, you are correct, sukuriant. The mechanism here is working on the host cell. Which is precisely the point of the article. Past attempts at working on the virus directly have all but failed. That's why this method is so effective and promising. However, its effectiveness is also what makes it so scary.
- xanadohnt 15y ago
  No, you are correct, sukuriant. The mechanism here is working on the host cell. Which is precisely the point of the article. Past attempts at working on the virus directly have all but failed. That's why this method is so effective and promising. However, its effectiveness is also what makes it so scary.

efuquen 15y ago

I've never heard of any 'good' viruses. I think you're applying the analogy of benefiical bacteria to viruses, assuming there must be beneficial viruses as well. In the artcile he somewhat addresses this by saying any cell infected by a virus will be killed at some point regardless, so DRACO wouldn't do any additional damage. Now, I think you're implying that there might be 'good' viruses that we haven't discovered yet. I feel like if that's the case then other animals would certianly have them as well and we would surely figure that out before we got to human trials.

xanadohnt 15y ago
Bacteriophages are one type of beneficial virus. The way biology goes I wouldn't be surprised if there are 100's/1000's more. The other complication is it's not necessarily binary whether an invasive agent is good or bad. Slightly tangible, but fascinating nonetheless: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/404/enemy-camp-2010 http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/404/e... Listen to the part about hook worms.