Since the discovery of AIDS in the 1980s, scientists from around the world have carried out studies and research in order to eradicate the HIV virus, the disease's causative agent. Recently, scientists from the United States and Spain announced the development of genetically modified rice, capable of neutralizing the HIV virus and which can help combat the agent. The discovery was published in the journal National Academy of Sciences and, according to those responsible for the research, the idea is not to use the cereal as food, but rather to produce a paste that, when applied to the skin, can inhibit the virus and your symptoms. According to experts, modified rice contains three microbicidal proteins (2G12, lectin and cyanovirin-N). In preliminary in vitro tests, these substances bound to the HIV glycoprotein, which allows the virus to reach the body's cells and neutralize its action. For scientists, rice would be a low-cost alternative to antiretroviral medicines used by people living with the HIV virus lodged in their bodies, especially in underdeveloped countries, where traditional medicines are difficult to access due to high prices. The modified rice will still need to undergo new tests in order to prove that it will not cause harmful side effects to the patient. In addition, scientists will have to comply with several regulatory restrictions in force in countries that hope to develop further research.
