It seems scientists have developed a new killer T cell that is much improved in tracking down the HIV virus, even in infected cells where HIV tends to hide quite nicely.
Yet there are some questions to ask. While I'm all for developing a vaccine or cure, I have to wonder. How much would this treatment cost? Hopefully not much, but we're talking about genetically engineering white blood cells. I would almost think that they would have to be taken from the patient to avoid the immune system from battling the augmented T cells themselves.
I ask about cost for one reason alone. We funnel billions of dollars annually into AIDS research, AIDS awareness programs, AIDS treatment, and so on. And yet, AIDS would practically vanish from the world in a generation if those who had AIDS stopped having sex. And not having sex is free. I know that is highly impractical, and that there are other ways to contract AIDS than from sex, even ones that don't involve drug use with needles. Yet still I wonder just how much money is spent every year because we humans believe that it is more important to enjoy momentary physical pleasure than to stop the spread of this lethal disease.
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