Question:
It is obvious that when a mosquito would bite, there
will be formed a blister, bump type of inflammation.
It looks pretty much like a blister caused by herpes, just
it is larger in size and herpes causes somewhere about
I would reckon very approximate, 20 or so blisters simultaneously.
How would be like, if the poison of a mosquito would be
extracted and with it would be filled a chip-like siz
area filled with very tiny needles each containing
a percentage from the ammount of a mosquito poison?
I have to suggest that the results might be surprising.
It may act like a vaccine for herpes, perhaps?
Tim, any thoughts on this one?
Answer:
> It is obvious that when a mosquito would bite, there
> will be formed a blister, bump type of inflammation.
Its not absolutely obvious...it happens to a lot of people, but people can
get bitten and not react. I've been all over the world and been bitten by all
sorts of insects and I often react - there are some places I don't
(Singapore being one more than most) and some places I do - in all that
time none have ever looked like herpes blister...the early swelling maybe
but not the full on lesion.
> It looks pretty much like a blister caused by herpes, just
> it is larger in size and herpes causes somewhere about
> I would reckon very approximate, 20 or so blisters simultaneously.
See above. Never seen a mossie bite that came up like a herpes lesion with
blistering and crusting.
> How would be like, if the poison of a mosquito would be
> extracted and with it would be filled a chip-like siz
> area filled with very tiny needles each containing
> a percentage from the ammount of a mosquito poison?
Mosquitoes are not poisonous, the reaction is a sensitivity reaction to
them and the proteins they leave behind from their mouthparts.
> I have to suggest that the results might be surprising.
> It may act like a vaccine for herpes, perhaps?
Nope, the proteins are completely different so its not going to help with
the adaptive immune response. Its hitting areas of the immune system that
are beyond the innate immune system as well so again outside the area and
its localised to the bite site.
Given a lot of the lesion is immunopathology in herpes you don;t
just want a trigger happy immune response, it needs to be targetted.
If you want to look at nonspecific priming and herpes look at hte
microbicides they examine that have a wide potential of antiviral action
(ie they'd hit several of the STDs aropund) and the interferon stimulating
gene induction they rely on. If you want to look at immune tolerance to a
substance then beesting venom and wasp venom is studied but the idea is to
produce no reaction to such chemical insults...fine if you want to avoid
bee stings hurting, not good for a vaccine which relies on a response, not
an absence of response.
