• Question: Can you genetically modify a pathogen to fight itself?

    Asked by anon-233076 to Varun, Sammie, Rebecca, Anna, Alin, Adam on 20 Nov 2019. This question was also asked by anon-233115.
    • Photo: Rebecca Shaw

      Rebecca Shaw answered on 20 Nov 2019: last edited 20 Nov 2019 9:08 am

      This is such a good question.
      I’m not sure if there is the ability for a pathogen to fight off itself. I would imagine though that because pathogens evolve, they would have to factor that in somehow… but scientists are working on using gene therapy to target hard to treat pathogens.

      For example, they are genetically modify viruses (known as phages) to target and destroy bacteria that is antibiotic resistant. They literally just multiply and invade the bacterial cells and make them explode!
      I’ve read a lab in the US are also making these phages only target bad bacteria, leaving the good bacteria behind – this is important because antibiotics can get rid of all your bacteria and sometimes make you more likely to get sick again!

      Scientists are also looking at genetically engineering immune cells to target viruses such as HIV and transplanting them into known sufferers!

    • Photo: Varun Ramaswamy

      Varun Ramaswamy answered on 20 Nov 2019:

      This is an amazing question!

      A lot of pathogens cannot attack their own kind and thats why they feed on plants, animals or humans. but some pathogens can.. you see, these pathogens normally fights us is by using proteins that stretch out of its surface to drill holes in our cells or chop up our DNA and proteins. And these proteins on its surface work by recognizing chemical code patterns in our proteins.

      So yes, we can genetically engineer pathogens so their attacking proteins recognize the codes of their own species.. but when they fight each other, both of them have the power to kill each other, and they also have the ability to defend themselves against the attack. So the good news is – they wont attack us because they are too busy fighting themselves. But, they might not be able to kill each other at all.

    • Photo: Samantha Firth

      Samantha Firth answered on 20 Nov 2019:

      Ahhhhh, great question TCK5! Are you thinking we could perhaps find a way to get a pathogen to embed some sort of ‘self-destruct’ gene within itself?💥 Maybe you could modify so it becomes a ‘cannibalistic’ pathogen that wants to destroy its own kind!? Hey man, guess you’ll have to become a scientists and find out… 🤙😎💯

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