Why is it that in our day and age we are still unable to find cures for viruses, such as HPV, HSV, or HIV? What research is being done to find a cure? I have been looking online and it seems that most research is focusing on treatment, not finding a cure. Are we somewhat close to finding the first virus cure or are we still miles off? I would appreciate a knowledgable answer and references and links if you have them. Thanks so much.
2007-02-07 11:40:57 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ STDs
Because there is more money in treatments then there is in a cure. You think the makers of Tylenol want to be out of business? I'm sure the stockholders don't.
They can cure a patients virus once, or have the patient keep having to return for treatment or coming back to buy more medication. Do the math.
2007-02-07 11:43:46 · answer #1 · answered by FRANKFUSS 6 · 4⤊ 3⤋
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2016-05-08 22:31:14 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2016-08-21 21:15:54 · answer #3 · answered by Charlie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Commercial healthcare researchers are less interested in creating cures than they are in creating treatments which merely stabilise people's conditions. The reason is that cures are not good for business. There is a lot more money to be made from keeping your customers needing your products every day to survive. Cures are therefore only likely to come from research funded by charities or governments but the commercial companies tend to snap up the best scientists so it's a classic case of market failure.
Of course there are big technical challenges in the way of curing diseases but if we put enough public money into it we would find cures. Public money built a nuclear bomb from theory to actuality in just 4 years or so. Public money put a man on the moon from theory to actuality in 10 years.
Normally I am pro-market forces but in the case of defeating diseases the market will not help.
Specifically on viruses the "cures" available are vaccines which prime the body's defences to beat a particular virus. However viruses can mutate into new strains very easily so new vaccines have to be designed and it's a constant struggle to meet the challenge of a new virus. We need more non-commercial research to get the cures you want to see.
2007-02-07 12:01:12 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
The quick answer to this is that strains of viruses change and mutate dramatically nearly EVERY year. There have been over 200 viruses identified that cause the common cold alone.
It's for this reason that you've found the most focus has been on treatment. Beyond that, there is also much focus on vaccines. However, if there are over 200 virus strains that we know of for the cold, think how many vaccines we'd have to get every year!
2007-02-07 11:55:10 · answer #5 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
bacteria have a cell wall and antibiotics can kill the bacteria in a variety of ways; making it impossible for the bacteria to multiply or destroying the cell wall etc.. viruses on the other hand do not have a cell wall so they live in our cells kinda like a parasite. to kill a virus our cells would have to die and that isn't something we can live with. HIV is a good example. the person does not die from AIDS but by something else.
if you find a good web site on how antibiotics work( sorry i don't know one right off hand) it will give you an understanding of why antibiotics should only be used for bacterial infections and why they don't work on viruses. WebMd might be a good place to look for this information. hope i helped some.
2007-02-07 18:53:27 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because a virus is not technically a living organism. That's why antibiotics don't work on them. Usually, prevention is the only way to make sure someone is not infected with a virus. That's what vaccines are for. Once a person has a viral infection, they are stuck with it.
2007-02-09 20:20:13 · answer #7 · answered by aqx99 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are two types of herpes simplex virus: HSV-1 and HSV-2. Both virus types can cause sores around the mouth (herpes labialis) and on the genitals (genital herpes). Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV).
Cold sores sometimes called fever blisters, are groups of small blisters on the lip and around the mouth. The skin around the blisters is often red, swollen, and sore. The blisters may break open, leak a clear fluid, and then scab over after a few days. They usually heal in several days to 2 weeks.
The herpes simplex virus usually enters the body through a break in the skin around or inside the mouth. It is usually spread when a person touches a cold sore or touches infected fluid—such as from sharing eating utensils or razors, kissing an infected person, or touching that person's saliva. A parent who has a cold sore often spreads the infection to his or her child in this way. Cold sores can also be spread to other areas of the body.
Luckly there is a cure for herpes https://tr.im/ca59a
2015-01-25 09:21:47 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
At this time vaccines are the best method of combating viruses, although there are a few antiviral drugs
2007-02-07 11:54:29 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
a virus is constently changing and strengthening itself-as soon as they found the part they needed to kill- it would have multiplied its self thousands of times,with most being strong enough to survive and get a resistance to whatever medicine they put there the first time-by doing that making the medicine weaker.Its very complex-thats why doctors make such good money.
2007-02-07 11:46:28 · answer #10 · answered by cassiepiehoney 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋