Contents
Introduction to Virus
Origin of Virus
Foundations of Virology
Living Organisms?
Characterisitics of Virus
In the future
Virus Research
Virus Research
Everyday, virologists study harmful viruses trying to understand exactly what these mysterious beings are, and how they behave. The goal of their research is simple. THey want to find out ways to prevent control and unltimately cure many of the deadly viruses that plague life on Earth. Already their work has been able to prevent several epidemics and wipe out the threats of many viruses. In fact, many vaccines can already control viruses such as smallpox, yellow fever, polio and influenza. The most dangerous viruses, including AIDS and certain brain-destroying viruses are of the highest piority right now. An incredible amount of time and money is being poured into the search for medications and vaccines to help solve their devastating effects. A drug called AZT is one important result of these studies . AZT blocks virus replication in cells and has helped many AIDS patients to resist infections. Further studies are also being done to try and connect viruses with cancer.
By studying viruses directly, scientists have been able to learn a lot about ourselves in the process. We have discovered an incredible amount of information about the actual DNA, RNA, and genes of living beings. Once they are able to identify the life controlling functions of specific genes, they may be able to design special drugs to target virus vulnerabilities.
Unfortunately, development of drugs cost biotech companies millions of dollars of research and testing. This limits the types of disease that are being studied. Diseases that predominately affect the poor are often ignored because they are not "profitable" to look at. However, diseases that affect the poor are the ones that are of the greatest concern. These are the diseases that affect the majority of the human population. Thus, the irony of the whole situation.
We have come a long way since Jenner and Pausteur. With our new technology and methods of experimentation, scientists aim to untimately strip viruses of their mystery, and learn how to prevent the disaster they cause.
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