Perhaps the take-home message of your high school health
class aligned with the infamous lesson from the coach in the movie Mean Girls: Don’t
have sex, you will get Chlamydia, and you will die. However, researchers are
beginning to explore the flip side of sexually transmitted conditions – the
fact that there may be some that are actually beneficial.
One particularly
relevant example is the GB Virus C – a different sexually transmitted virus
that has been found to reduce the mortality rate of people with HIV by 59%. GB
Virus C has not been linked to any harmful effects in humans, and it can
prevent HIV viruses from invading and proliferating in white blood cells. Human
trials have not been conducted for the reservation of injecting humans with a
virus, but the evidence stands to defend it as a significant consideration for
future treatment methods.
Besides this discovery in humans, other cases of
beneficial STIs have been noted in aphids, mosquitoes and fungi. Since certain
STIs of these organisms have been found to impart desirable traits to their
offspring, it begs the evolution question of the benefit of promiscuity. It
also begs the question of how many STIs go undetected simply because they don’t
cause negative health issues (such as Chlamydia), but instead subtly improve us
as humans, generation by generation.
What undiscovered beneficial STIs are out there that could
help combat other, harmful STIs? As unconventional as it is to think of STIs in
a positive light, it may be a missing link to addressing the prognosis and
treatment of many other diseases.
Link to article: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/some-stis-are-beneficial-and-may-have-boosted-evolutionary-promiscuity/
This is a very interesting topic that I think more research should be done on. Since STIs are an increasing problem,I think it makes a lot of sense that beneficial STIs are developing due to evolution.Because GB Virus C can alter the body's immune response, I wonder if it could be used to treat other immune suppressing diseases as well.
ReplyDeleteBeneficial STI's must be less harmful to the host to ensure they continue to reproduce; as opposed to other infections which may lead to a decreased sex drive. It stands to reason that because animals with these STIs are benefitting, the STI may never be diagnosed; however, I wonder how long they have been around. These beneficial STIs may be a relatively new evolutionary phenomenon which are outcompeting their more harmful counterparts. By having a mutualistic relationship with their host, they are more likely to persist. Ethically, I don't see GB Virus C being used in trials to combat HIV. However, the effectiveness of GB Virus C combined with other drugs may help to create a more patient friendly regimen with a higher success rate.
ReplyDeleteI feel like bacteria and viruses are always seen in a negative light, where in reality we could not survive without them! They are not always the bad guys. In addition to GB Virus C co-infection success with HIV, there has also been report on the virus helping patients survive Ebola. I don't think it is so far fetched that infecting people with GB Virus C could be a possible method in the future. People seem to be willing to inject themselves with all sorts of things nowadays. There was that study not long ago about using HIV to combat cancer. Taking that into consideration, a harmless, beneficial virus seems like it could be well received.
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