In 1996, Hongkui Deng Ph.D of NYU discovered CCR5, which lately becomes one of the keys of curing AIDS. Scientists found that in people with innate mutation of CCR5-∆32, HIV-1 is not able to bind with human T cell through CCR-5 co-receptor for self-replication. In 2007, a patient of HIV-1 was cured by accepting bone marrow donation by the one with mutation of CCR5-∆32. It is well-known to be first case of curing AIDS completely.
Despite the discovery of CCR-5 is a breakthrough, voice of opposites of genomic edit always exists. A published paper demonstrates the deterious of CCR5-∆32, which is recalled due to insufficient evidence. Interestingly, A paper recently published striked back that there is no evidence for the mutation of CCR5-∆32 causing lower lifespan. Overall, gene editing on living creatures is always an ethical and troublesome topic, and mutation is always a double-edged sword to organisms.
