Bridging the gap: human diploid cell strains and the origin of AIDS.
Recent descriptions of the first human and chimpanzee cases of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-related retroviral infections dating from 1959 have stirred interest in the origin of AIDS. Although the theory of a chimpanzee origin of HIV-1 with cross-species transfer to man has now gained popularity, a more likely scenario is that chimps and humans were infected by an HIV-1 precursor virus derived from a contaminated poliovaccine. The reason for the rapidity and ease of cross-species transfer of this precursor virus has not been elucidated. We hypothesize that the poliovaccine was passaged in a human diploid cell strain. This simple manipulation allowed the retrovirus to adapt to human tissues and may have spawned the AIDS pandemic.
Goldberg
B
B
International DNCB Study Group, San Francisco, CA 94108, USA.
Stricker
R B
RB
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004171:Diploidy; D004340:Drug Contamination; D015497:HIV-1; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011054:Poliovirus Vaccine, Inactivated; D012322:RNA Precursors; D012692:Serial Passage / Q000379:methods; D013234:Stem Cells; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated
D011054:Poliovirus Vaccine, Inactivated; D012322:RNA Precursors; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated