AIDS is a life threatening disease that has affected millions of people around the world. The HIV virus can develop into AIDS if not properly medicated and watched over.
In 2017 a study was conducted where mice were injected with the HIV virus and were treated with the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. CRISPR is a DNA modification program. With CRIPSR any part of DNA can be cut out with scissor-like-precision. Possibly cutting out any trace of the HIV virus in someones DNA. CRISPR was able to eradicate any trace of HIV in the mice’s organs. This was a medical breakthrough, if this was developed then it could possibly help many people currently with the HIV virus and can stop that developing into a disease that endangers a person’s life. In addition, many HIV-infected patients have to take large toxic amounts of anti-retroviral medications to suppress the virus from replicating. CRISPR stops the spread of the virus.
This relates to engineering because scientists had to go through many experiments with the mice to determine how to eradicate the HIV virus. Many biomedical engineers have had to experiment with the concept of CRISPR and CAS9, developing it would have also been hard. This relates to the world because it can help millions of people who have contracted the HIV virus, this can especially neutralize the HIV virus in young children before it spreads.
In conclusion, the discoveries from this research can help millions of people all around the world.
