Cure For AIDS?

magpieboy said:
I was going to say the same thing. There's ego involved, here! That's worth more than any corporatesuit's bonus!

Sick said:

Exactly. Any scientist who's any good cares more about the recognition than the money.

Maxx said:
unprotected sex, here i come!

SockPuppet said:

One word: herpes.

Sick said:

Pfft...that's not a serious disease. Mostly inconvenient and embarrassing.

Edit: That was somewhat insensitive. I know it's emotionally distressing and such. I meant it's not (generally) fatal.

SockPuppet said:

Certainly. (Is it ever fatal?)

It does make it harder to get laid, though.

Herpes simplex encephalitis is a severe brain infection; in the absence of effective antiviral therapy, mortality is in excess of 70%, and only about 2.5% of patients overall regained normal neurologic function (Whitley and Lakeman 1995). The prognosis is better when antiviral therapy is initiated relatively early in the course of disease; a French study showed a favorable outcome in 65% of patients (55 of 85) and complete recovery in 14% (12 of 85) (Raschilas et al 2002).Young patients (less than 30 years old) also have a more favorable outcome than older patients. Treatment initiated after consciousness is severely impaired is unlikely to result in a good clinical outcome (Whitley et al 1977). Even with appropriate acyclovir therapy, only 38% of patients had mild or no neurologic impairment (Whitley et al 1986). Persistent cognitive and memory impairment, aphasia, and motor deficits are common after herpes simplex encephalitis. Chronic seizure disorders may also occur. Recurrent or relapse of herpes simplex encephalitis occurs in up to 5% to 10% of patients.

Katieesq said:

Yes - if you contract Herpes simplex encephalitis.

Quoted from Medlink Neurology

Primary infection with herpes simplex virus in susceptible (seronegative) individuals occurs after exposure of the virus to a mucosal surface or abraded skin. The virus is subsequently transported along axons via retrograde transport to nuclei of neurons in local peripheral sensory (trigeminal or dorsal root) ganglia. The viral genome remains in a latent state in peripheral sensory ganglia for the life of the host. A variety of stimuli, including physical or emotional stress, fever, menstruation, or ultraviolet light, cause reactivation of the virus with viral gene expression and the development of recurrent infections, most commonly skin lesions (eg, cold sores). The majority of the population becomes infected with herpes simplex virus-1 by age 40. Most herpes simplex virus-2 infections are sexually transmitted; women and African Americans have higher infection rates than men and Caucasians, respectively.

The localization of herpes simplex encephalitis in temporal lobes and orbitofrontal cortex may, in part, reflect the route of entry of the virus into the host. In primary infection, the virus may enter by an olfactory route and spread along olfactory fibers through the cribriform plate into the olfactory bulbs. Subsequently, viral spread could occur along the base of the brain. At least half of cases of herpes simplex encephalitis are caused by a different viral strain than the one responsible for cold sores (Whitley et al 1982a). In reactivation of herpes simplex virus infection, it has been hypothesized that the virus may spread from the trigeminal ganglion along branches of the trigeminal nerve in tentorial nerves that innervate the meninges of the anterior and middle cranial fossae (Davis and Johnson 1979). In situ reactivation of latent virus from brain tissue, where it sometimes can be detected, remains another possibility (Baringer and Pisani 1994).

Katieesq said:

Yes - if you contract Herpes simplex encephalitis.

Quoted from Medlink Neurology. Brain herpes is the worst.

So get tested, or else you'll get brain herpes!

FellOnEarth said:
I was under the impression that most people have the simple form of herpes (of the cold sore variety, HSV1) and many contract it at a fairly young age.

Otoki said:
It sucks (or, rather, doesn't, ifyaknowwhatImean *nudge nudge*)

Otoki said:
Not only can the virus be tranferred to other parts of the body, but my boyfriend is one of those lucky jerks who has never had a cold-sore. Also, on the buzzkill note, we show each other our STD test results. Yeah. I'm a nerd.