Doctors Transplant Bone Marrow Cells From a Baboon Into an AIDS Patient - A Cure for AIDS? - Current Events Volume 95

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Asher

San Francisco doctors injected AIDS patient Jeff Getty with bone marrow cells from a 6-year-old male baboon in an FDA-approved experimental procedure, aiming to generate white blood cells that attack the AIDS virus. The article explains why baboons do not get AIDS, describes how HIV damages the immune system, and notes the global epidemic impact. It also discusses current theories about HIV’s origin, viral mutation speed, and concerns that cross-species cell mixing could introduce new lethal human diseases.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Baboons Don't Get AIDS

A CURE FOR AIDS?

Sidelights

Playing With Fire?

# Doctors TransplantBone Marrow CellsFrom a Baboon Into anAIDS Patient SAN FRANCISCO,Cmlif.—Does thebone marrow of ababoon hold thesecret to ending aplague that has alreadykilled more than 3 million people? Doctors at a San Francisco hospitalhope so.Last month they injected JeffGetty,a 38-year-old AIDS victim,withcells taken from the bone marrow of a6-year-old male baboon.About a pint ofstraw-colored fluid containing the cellsdripped into a vein in Getty's arm from aplastic bag that hung by his hospital bed.The procedure took only 30 minutes,butGetty and his doctors had waited morethan a year for the FDA(Food and DrugAdministration)to approve the experimen-tal procedure. ## Baboons Don't Get AIDS Why baboon cells? For some reason (scientists do notknow why),baboons don't get AIDS.Doctors hope that the baboon bone mar-row cells will bind with Getty's bonemarrow cells and produce white bloodcells that will attack the AIDS yirus.Otherwise,Getty will die. It will take several months,however,before doctors know whether the experi-ment worked.If it does—if Getty's bodydoes a better job of fighting off infection—it will be a major breakthrough in the15-year battle against a killer disease. AIDS is now a major epidemic through-out the world—especially in Africa.(Seegraph on p.4.)According to the WorldHealth Organization,more than 3 millionpeople around the world have died of CURRENT EVENTS Volume 95Iof 25ettionsWeek of Jenvary 15-19,1996 ## A CURE FOR AIDS? Jeff Getty,■38-year-oMd AIDS patiemt,received bome murrow cels from an odult mole baboon (rt.)in on affempt fo slop the diseuse. istry to make more viruses. AIDS-related illnesses.By the year 2000,deaths are expected to top 10million,with40 million more contracting HIV (humanimmune deficiency virus),the virus thatcauses AIDS. On its own,HIV is a real wimp.It willquickly die if exposed to air.It can betransmitted from one person to anotheronly by direct contact with bodily fluidssuch as blood or fluids generated by sexualcontact. Viruses are microscopic organisms soprimitive that scientists classify them asboth living and nonliving things. Once in the blood,however,HIV turnsinto a supervirus.It can remain dormant,or inactive,for years.Once it becomesactive,however,HIV slowly destroys thebody's immune system—the system cen- Outside a living cell,viruses are littlemore than collections of molecules.Butonce inside a cell,they come alive,gob-bling up the cell and changing its chem- # Sidelights Africa today is the continentmost heavily hit by HIV,with morethan 11 million people known tohave the virus,and with more than400,000 AIDS cases.A Ugandanman (below)is being checked forthe progress of the disease. MikeaPeiliy/sipPrm The most current theory aboutAIDS virus is that it was trans-ferred to humans in Africa by amonkey bite or scratch,then livedin humans for thousands ofyearsas a harmless visitor. ●What caused the virus to turninto a killer?A change in the waypeople lived in Africa In the 1940s,50s,and 60s,millions of Africansmoved from villages to crowdedcities.It was in these cities thatHIV changed into a killer becausehuman contact was more frequent.During these years,believeresearchers,HIV was transmittedfrom Africa to the rest of the world. The reason HIV was able tochange has to do with the nature 6 of viruses. Viruses have the ability to change their form a thou- sand times faster than any other organism. That is why, 1989 Robar Smi as soon as one drug is developedby researchers (photo above),thevirus quickly changes its formtomake the drug useless. CURRENTEVENTSISSN0011-3492)-CoprigO1996byWoely Raodg Corporofon.Cumenben isodaoyogisterdjodamorkof Woby Rod-Corporchion.Baauie ondEdiondOhos:245 Long Hl Rood,PO,Box 2791,Middelowm,CTQ6457-9291.Secpnd doss poskoge poid a Dahon,Now Jney,and oddifiond eriy.Forfhil solunont ofhequangy,sboipion,and oddes onefion ncio,s TeodarsGudalo tha isne. AIDS continved from

FAQs

What treatment did doctors use for Jeff Getty?

Doctors injected cells from a baboon’s bone marrow into Getty through his arm vein as an experimental AIDS procedure approved by the FDA.

Why do doctors think baboon cells could help fight AIDS?

Doctors hope baboon bone marrow cells bind with Getty’s bone marrow cells and produce white blood cells that will attack the AIDS virus.

What concerns exist about using baboon cells in humans?

Some scientists worry baboon viruses could mutate when introduced into humans, potentially creating new diseases or triggering another deadly epidemic.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Asher