This is a precis of an article that appeared in Science, with some background tacked onto it. Based on the original Science paper, which I read, this is a very good precis that pretty well explains what the research is without going into the very technical details that are mysterious, if not offputting, to the general reader. Despite this fascinating work, it is just one paper from one laboratory, and the findings are preliminary and the hypothesis about the evolution of the TRIM5-alpha protein is, at this time, speculative. There is a lot more work necessary to say, for certain, that this is how and why the genes for this protein evolved in this manner. Because this is a precis, there are no other points of view given. I would ... More »

Is this in vitro, in vivo research? The article doesn't say. This is a hopeful article written with enough information to make it interesting, but not so much information as to be inaccessible to the average reader.

Fascinating story. Humans evolved immunity against a prehistoric and now extinct virus dubbed PtERV1. Experiment suggests that the immunity against PtERV1 has a down side, it makes us vulnerable to AIDS. Scientists synthesized the extinct virus (!!) in t he lab, and infected test cells with it. They found when they removed the anti PterV1 protection from test cells, the test cells became immune to AIDS. Ergo, protection against an extinct virus gives AIDS vulnerability. This is a "first result", and subsequent research may change things, but it is a fascinating story.

Interesting background information.

Interesting article but I read a much more informative story on the same topic in the SF Chronicle: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/22/MNGT5QJSP41.DTL&hw=hiv&sn=008&sc=139