Tritonin + AIDS...

[Seastallion]

When I asked whatever happened to tretonin a few months ago, the answer came back that the Tok'ra managed to synthetize it. Which is why the Rebel Jaffa can now sustain themselves on Tretonin.

Using Tretonin to cure AIDS is a viable thing since they would die from AIDS eventually anyway. Having to take Tretonin for the rest of their lives is much better since AIDS breaks down the immune system.

You made the point I was just getting ready to make. It was the Pangarans who created tretonin, but it was the Tok'ra who learned to synthesize it, so that it no longer required the actual use of symbiotes in making it. I suspect they simply found a way to artificially create the molecular makeup that makes tretonin so effective.

If Tretonin were to be used on Earth, than I think it would need to be used for those who simply have no other alternative. Severe old age might be one prerequisite for taking Tretonin. It would renew the vitality of the aged, giving them years longer to live. I'm not sure that someone with AIDS would be the best candidate for Tretonin however. Tretonin does take over the for the Immune system (in the case of the Pangarans, the dependency coud be reversed, but not while allowing them to continue taking it.), but the problem with AIDS victims, is not that their immune system no longer works. The AIDS virus simply by-passes the Immune system. So, if a specific cure for AIDS can be found, then their immune system would work just fine. It might be possible to temporarily give an AIDS patient Tretonin, and then use the same method to take them off of it, as was done with the Pangarans. It might work as a cure.

Even so... I still think that certain neccessities would be required for taking the Tretonin in the first place. It can be sythesized, which means massive doses of it can be created without using symbiotes, but there are a lot of Jaffa out there needing it, and creating Tretonin for the whole galaxy would be a massive undertaking. I think Tretonin is fine, if there is no other alternatives, but why make yourself dependent if you don't need to?

Oh... the reason the Jaffa can't stop taking Tretonin? Because their physiology has been altered from normal humans. They CAN'T live without either a symbiote, or the tretonin to replace it. The method used on the Pangarans simply won't work for the Jaffa, because it requires much more extreme measures to accomplish it.

[Avatar28]

Actually, no. What kills in AIDS is not the HIV virus itself but rather the fact that it eventually destroys the immune system, leaving you vulnerable to infection. That's what typically kills an AIDS patient, the secondary infections. In fact, just look at the name, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, AIDS.

[Deevil]

Umm, you know that we don't have the ability to sythasize this drug right? And to use it as a so called cure would be a lie. It's not a cure so much as a drug dependancy, they will die anyway... To be honest it might not even work considering it attacks the immune system; why would it not attack an artifical immune system?

[Avatar28]

because it defeats the immune system and hides in a very specific way. It wouldn't have evolved to work against something like tretonin, just as I'm sure a goa'uld symbiote would also be able to cure AIDS.

[Deevil]

because it defeats the immune system and hides in a very specific way. It wouldn't have evolved to work against something like tretonin, just as I'm sure a goa'uld symbiote would also be able to cure AIDS.

The Tok'ra specifically designed the tretonian to deal with the loss of a symbiote, and thus it's pretty specific in it's uses. There is no way they could randomly pick a disease to use it on and hope to cure because it might kill them. And the way AIDS subjucates the immune system doesn't mean that tretonin could cure it, it may actually react like a virus in their system. We don't know, and it would be too risky to try.

Add to that as humans we only have a basic understanding of how it works and doesn't work. If you really want to cure disease, why don't we clone a goa'uld and implant them. In nightwalkers they cloned goa'uld and they didn't perminatly take over, so why don't we give that a try? Or would that be a stupid idea?

[FallenAngelII]

Yes, cloning Goa'uld would be stupid. And we have to try first to find out if it works. Grab a random terminally ill and soon-to-die AIDS patient and give them the drug.

[Deevil]

yes, because we will be able to get enough of the drug from the Tok'ra to support an ailing civilisation. Remember they don't like us much, they don't even like the Jaffa much. I think we should be thankful for what we get.

But you know what, it's also dangerous to go down this route with tretonin. First it'll be the terminally ill, then it'll be the old, then it'll be hte young so they wont have to worry about the dangers of age and the cycle will perpetuate. And when this happens we wont have the resources to support our booming civialisation and thus people will start dying of starvation and there would likely be a higher crime rate, because that's what happens when civialisations are on the verge of collapse.

It's too dangerous to even consider going down that road because as a race we are to stupid to use it responsibly.

[FallenAngelII]

You can't really cure the old of their... oldness. Tretonin gives perfect health. Not long-lasting life.

[Deevil]

yes, but old people get sick - so it will cure their illness and thus create a longer life span. Incredably longer. Because if we couldn't fall victim to the countless pit falls of age, including disease (whether it be heart, lung, cancer); we would have a very long life... Sure, we will still die; but what from if our bodies no longer carry disease as they do now?

[FallenAngelII]

Yes, but we would still only give Tretonin to those with fatal ilnesses. Or maybe Alzheimers and crap like that.

It wouldn't be like "OMFG! The flu! Tretonin!". With the right protocols and right people in control, we'd be able to defeat currently undefeatable diseases. And so what if it takes over for the immune system? It's synthesizable.

The Tok'ra could just tell us how to synthetize it and we'll do it ourselves. However, if we're not able to do it because we don't have the right chemicals on the planet and said chemicals are really rare and expensive... but otherwise, rock on, I say.

[xtremixt]

They could defiently do this, but if we run out of it all these patients would be pretty screwed, except they wouldnt die of AIDS or something like that, but of the common flu. There are realworld drugs that allow people with HIV to live out the remainder of their lives.

[FallenAngelII]

But if we could synthetize it easily with common chemicals and components, WHY would we run out of it?! Besides, the AIDS patients are screwed anyway. Once your body has developed full blown AIDS, it's only a matter of (little) time before you die.

[Deevil]

Yes, but we would still only give Tretonin to those with fatal ilnesses. Or maybe Alzheimers and crap like that.

It wouldn't be like "OMFG! The flu! Tretonin!". With the right protocols and right people in control, we'd be able to defeat currently undefeatable diseases. And so what if it takes over for the immune system? It's synthesizable.

No you see, it may be first used for only the terminally ill - but no matter the safeguards you put in *everyone* would use it. And our civilisation (and I do mean globally) would not be able to sustain the population boom. By that I mean that if people don't die of illness, any illness, there will be more people alive on this planet, so many many more. And we are not ready for it. It's unsustainable.

Safeguards don't work forever. And with this drug, no one would ever use a safeguard. No safeguard would likely even be created.

But yeah, let's all use it. It only kills your immune system and it can be systhasised, a possible never ending resourse. But what happens when it does run out (because even common chemicals we only have so mcuh of) - when somebody, alien or whatever potentially distroys the means to make it? What happens then?

Ohh yeah, the human race on Earth will die. Not a problem.

[xtremixt]

people would always ask question of where it came form? Any modern GP would be able to tell you that your Immune system is completely shut down and thet you are supported by this drug. The side effect are too great, and people dont like side effects. Plus, any scientist or geneticist who got their hands on the drug would immediatly start doing their own tets on it and would conclude that the drug is extraterrestrial. The cover wouldnt necessarily be blown but too many questions would be asked. If the gate was public knowledge then it would be ok, because we could tell people where the thing came from. TPTB are going to keep the gate uner wraps forever.

[FallenAngelII]

We're theorizing how Tretonin could be used. Not how we're supposed to get away with it.

Also, the current Tretonin is synthetized. It's perfectly possible that the drug no longer uses any actual symbiote cells or whatever but is just made out of a lot of chemicals. And I did say that if we were to produce it on Earth, we'd need those chemicals.