Pot Luck 2/06: Primate Immune System Differences

Primate immune system differences identified

This article discusses the findings of a study of the functional differences of genes associated with the immune system between primates and humans. It argues that the results have showed that human and more susceptible to various diseases such as HIV and hepatitis B. The 'core response' between the two species was shown to be the same but the genes that respond to certain diseases has difference responses between primates and humans. Regarding HIV/AIDS specifically, it shows that chimpanzees have a better ability to resist the virus than humans do. Focusing on this disease I found this article interesting because I wonder if it shows the future for humans to naturally become immune or become more resistant to the disease as well. Since the disease is know to have originated in primates, would it make sense they since the disease has existed for a longer period time within their species, they have have a longer time to adapt have through some form of adaptation or evolution or natural selection have been able to fight the disease. Because of the similarities between the initial 'core' immune systems between chimps and humans could it be possible that as time goes on that humans too could form this resistance to the disease. From this example could it be possible that, because primates have been around longer than humans, we could learn more about the future of human evolution especially in terms of responses to disease from the evolution of primates?