AIDS RESEARCH
From standing on the red carpet to standing up for a cause, not only has Kenneth Cole been a successful designer in the fashion industry, he has used his fame and fortune to make a difference in the world.
For years, Cole has striven to bring AIDS relief efforts into public awareness in order to enact real change. Committed to finding a cure for AIDS, Cole joined the board of directors at amfAR in 1987 and is now chairman of the board for the organization. AmfAR is the world’s leading non-profit organization dedicated to ending the global AIDS epidemic through innovative research. Since 1985, amfAR has invested more than $340 million toward its goals and research, and the organization has awarded more than 2,000 grants to research teams worldwide.
So you woke up with a zit right smack in the middle of your face, we’ve all been there. Yes, this could feel like the end of the world, but it’s not. Sometimes we just need someone or something to knock us off of our high horses in order for us to step back down to reality. When it comes to giving back to the community, people in the fashion world are the first to lend a hand and the first to open their runways. Fashion charities are a wonderful way to feel and give love and compassion to all of those in need. We’ve provided a list of amazing charities that will open your eyes and your hearts to bigger more serious problems than the blemishes on your face.
The last few years have been big for scientists in the pursuit of a cure and vaccination for the AIDS virus. This important research has been making waves and headlines with every attempt and discovery. This time, however, the news about AIDS research has caught people’s eyes for an entirely different reason--kittens. Glowing kittens, to be exact.
These kittens are part of a study that explores a potential cure or vaccine for FIV, the feline equivalent of HIV. The information garnered from this research may be extremely helpful in aiding humans given the similarities of the viruses. According to The Guardian “U.S. researcher Eric Poeschla has produced three glowing GM cats by using a virus to carry a gene, called green fluorescent protein (GFP), into the eggs from which the animals eventually grew.” This protein comes from jellyfish and glows when exposed to certain frequencies of light. It helps scientists monitor the activity of the genes or cells in the cats.
The real meat of the findings, however, is that these genetically modified cats have become resistant to FIV. The glowing merely helps scientists track what they’ve done and how these kittens have become resistant--it does not affect the cats themselves. These adorable green research subjects may be the key to creating a vaccine. While it’s yet unknown if their resistance means help for human resistance, the discovery here has a lot of potential. The researchers, from the Mayo Clinic and Japan’s Yamaguchi University, will use this information in the hopes of combating feline and human AIDS.
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