Naturally, Nothing Bad Could Come Of This.

Twelve Monkeys meets I Am Legend:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Scientists have created a strain of the human AIDS virus able to infect and multiply in monkeys in a step toward testing future vaccines in monkeys before trying them in people, according to a new study.

This strain of HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus, was developed by altering a single gene in the human version to allow it to infect a type of monkey called a pig-tailed macaque, the researchers said on Monday.

The genetically engineered virus, once injected into this monkey, proliferates almost as much as it does in people, but the animal ultimately suppresses it and the virus does not make it sick, they said.

The strain is called simian-tropic HIV-1, or stHIV-1.

Researchers hope to be able to test possible new AIDS drugs and vaccines in monkeys before trying them in people.

There is a "cousin" virus to HIV called SIV, or simian immunodeficiency virus, that causes a disease similar to AIDS in certain types of monkeys.

I understand the "we have to do this in order to learn more about AIDS" angle, but still: we're giving monkeys AIDS on purpose. And we're hoping that:

1. the virus won't mutate in the monkeys;
2. the monkeys won't then bite/scratch/infect a human;
3. the human won't then turn into an unkillable zombie.

But hey: it's science!