Viking Age DNA Reveals 9,000-Year-Old HIV-Resistant Gene Originating Near the Black Sea

The HIV virus is not even 100 years old. However, a gene mutation that makes carriers resistant or immune is thousands of years old.

Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

A recent study published last year in the journal Cell has identified the ancient origins of a genetic mutation that confers resistance to HIV, and how it first appeared in an individual who lived near the Black Sea between 6,700 and 9,000 years ago. Named CCR5 delta 32, the uncommon genetic variant disables a key immune protein used by a large majority of strains of the HIV virus to enter human cells and therefore “locks out” the virus in indiv…