Final answer:
The role of natural selection in the prominence of the CCR5-delta 32 mutation is debated. Early hypotheses suggested a link to plague resistance; however, ancient DNA analysis has challenged this view, and the debate is ongoing. The mutation is of particular interest in HIV research and potential drug therapies.
Step-by-step explanation:
Slatkin and colleagues were involved in the research concerning the rise to prominence of the CCR5-delta 32 mutation and whether natural selection was involved. Researchers initially suggested that the high frequency of the CCR5-delta 32 mutation in European populations could not be exclusively attributed to the recent HIV pandemic due to the mutation offering resistance to HIV infection. Instead, it was hypothesized that historical plague epidemics, particularly the Black Death, could have driven the selective increase of this mutation. However, this view encountered opposition due to ambiguous evidence and doubts about whether CCR5-delta 32 actually granted resistance to the plague. Following the application of ancient DNA (aDNA) technology, preliminary results have rejected the plague-driven hypothesis, despite ongoing studies that have revived the debate. Therefore, while the exact role of natural selection regarding the CCR5-delta 32 variant and its current prevalence remains ambiguous, it poses a significant avenue for HIV research, with implications for drug therapies that may inhibit HIV from binding to CCR5 in individuals without the mutation.