#DNA #HIV #AI #archeology
"HIV is a relatively new disease. It was only identified in the last century, but the genetic mutation that defends against it has existed for thousands of years. The international research team, led by Professor Simon Rasmussen and senior researcher Kirstine Ravn of the University of Copenhagen’s Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR), confirmed this through the analysis of over 3,000 genomes of ancient and modern humans. The study used a new AI-based method to detect the mutation in the often degraded DNA of ancient bones.
The researchers analyzed DNA from more than 900 ancient people, ranging from the early Mesolithic era to the Viking era. They found that the CCR5 delta 32 mutation emerged abruptly and rapidly spread in human populations, particularly after humans transitioned from a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle to more densely settled agricultural societies. That shift in lifestyle likely put humans in contact with new pathogens, imposing evolutionary pressure that favored individuals with the mutation.
'People with this mutation were better at surviving, likely because it dampened the immune system during a time when humans were exposed to new pathogens,' explained Leonardo Cobuccio, a co-author of the study and postdoctoral researcher at CBMR, in a statement. 'While it might sound negative that the variation disrupts an immune gene, it was probably beneficial. An overly aggressive immune system can be deadly — think of allergic reactions or severe cases of viral infections like COVID-19, where the immune system often causes the damage that kills patients.'
CCR5, the protein affected by the mutation, helps direct immune cells to areas of inflammation within the body. Disabled by the delta 32 mutation, however, it becomes harder for HIV to infect these cells. This discovery has already been put to use in medicine: scientists have used the protective properties of the mutation to successfully treat a handful of HIV patients."
https://archaeologymag.com/2025/05/viking-age-dna-reveals-9000-year-old-hiv-resistant-gene/