In scientific research, we usually regard viruses as a pathogenic organism, because they can cause many serious diseases. However, in some rare cases, viruses may be beneficial to human beings.
1. phage:
Phage is a virus that infects bacteria. They reproduce themselves by invading and infecting bacteria, which eventually leads to the death of bacteria. This virus is beneficial to human beings because it can be used as an antibiotic substitute to treat drug-resistant bacterial infections. Phage is considered as a potentially effective treatment because it only infects bacteria and not human cells.
2. Adeno-associated virus:
Adeno-associated virus is a virus that can cause respiratory infections, including some common cold viruses. Although they may cause discomfort, adeno-associated viruses are also widely used in gene therapy and vaccine development. Scientists use adeno-associated virus as a carrier to introduce beneficial genes into human cells to treat some genetic diseases or restore the function of damaged tissues.
3. Polio virus:
Polio virus is the pathogen that causes polio. With the application of vaccines, polio has been successfully eradicated worldwide. Scientists conducted further research and found that poliovirus can be used to treat some forms of cancer. By transforming the virus, it can only infect cancer cells without harming healthy cells. Polio virus has become a potential tumor therapy.
4. Viral strawberry nut mottle virus:
VMSV is a virus that affects strawberry plants. Although it will lead to strawberry infection and yield reduction, scientists have found that VMSV can improve the stress resistance of plants in the natural environment. By infecting plant cells and transferring some genes into plants, VMSV can increase the resistance of plants to drought, pathogens and other adversity.
It should be noted that with the continuous progress of scientific research, viruses beneficial to human beings may be found. However, the research and application of these viruses still need strict scientific evaluation and supervision to ensure public safety and sustainability.