Recent research reveals a seventh individual has been successfully cured of HIV following a stem cell transplant, challenging previous assumptions. Unlike the first five individuals who received HIV-resistant stem cells, this patient, and the sixth, received non-resistant cells, indicating that HIV-resistance may not be essential for a cure. This suggests that the donor cells’ ability to eliminate the patient’s remaining immune cells may be crucial in preventing viral spread. This new understanding opens up the possibility that a broader range of stem cell transplants could potentially cure HIV, but that more research is needed, and that the patient’s and donor’s genetics may play a role.
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Speaking at AMU’s astrophysics lab, President Eric Berton drew parallels between the current situation and the flight of European academics during the Nazi era, advocating for a “scientific refugee” status. Several academics, including a climate scientist named James and his wife, applied for positions, citing concerns about targeted research areas and potential funding cuts under the Trump administration. These researchers, who requested anonymity, expressed deep worry about the future of academic research. Despite not considering themselves “refugees”, the applicants were motivated by the shifting political climate in the United States.
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Gianluca Grimalda, a climate researcher, successfully sued the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) for unfair dismissal after being fired for refusing to fly home from a research trip in Papua New Guinea. The court ruled the termination was due to incompatible ideological convictions, awarding Grimalda an undisclosed settlement and exonerating him from any breach of contract. Grimalda’s lengthy, low-carbon return journey, which took 72 days, highlighted the conflict between professional demands and individual climate commitments. He plans to donate a significant portion of the settlement to environmental causes.
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John Q. Hosedrinker