Scientists succeed in treating HIV-infected cells: New hope in cancer treatment

12PUNTO FOREIGN NEWS

Scientists have announced that they have succeeded in achieving results in HIV treatment using 'CRISPR' technology. According to the statement, the new method used in HIV treatment 'works like scissors' and cuts DNA at the molecular level, allowing 'bad parts' to be removed from the cell or rendered ineffective.

According to a report by the BBC, the goal of the study is to completely rid the body of the virus, but it is stated that more research is needed to verify whether the newly developed method is safe and effective.

Current HIV medications can stop the virus but are ineffective at eliminating it.

The team from the University of Amsterdam, which will present a summary of its initial findings at a medical conference called ECCMID 2024, emphasized that their work remains only a 'proof of concept' and will not be a cure for HIV in the near future.

Dr. James Dixon, an associate professor of stem cell and gene therapy technologies at the University of Nottingham, also reported that the findings need to be examined further.

Dixon stated, "Much more work will be needed to show that the results of these cell analyses are valid throughout the entire body. Much more development will be needed before this method can be used to treat people with HIV."

IS CRISPR A NEW HOPE FOR HIV TREATMENT?

Other scientists are also attempting to use CRISPR in HIV treatment.

Excision BioTherapeutics recently stated in its ongoing research that three volunteers with HIV who received CRISPR therapy showed no serious side effects after 48 weeks.

Dr. Jonathan Stoye, a virologist at the Francis Crick Institute in London, argues that removing HIV from all cells that could harbor it in the body is "extremely challenging."

In his statement to the BBC, Stoye noted the following:

"Off-target effects of the treatment and potential long-term side effects remain a concern. Therefore, it seems likely that it will take many years for any CRISPR-based treatment to become routine, even if it is proven to be effective."

WHAT IS HIV?

HIV infects and attacks immune system cells by using their own mechanisms to create copies of itself.

Even with effective treatment, in some patients, infected cells enter a resting state; therefore, even if the patient is not actively producing new viruses, they still carry the DNA or genetic material of HIV.

Most people with HIV require lifelong antiretroviral therapy. If the patient stops taking the medication, the dormant virus can reawaken and cause problems again.

People who continue with highly effective antiretroviral therapy can have the same life expectancy as people without HIV.

Richard Angell from the Terrence Higgins Trust, a charity working on HIV and sexual health in the UK, said the following about the research:

"Despite the years that have passed, today's research is an important step in the search for an HIV cure. The work required to turn this technology into a treatment for those already living with HIV must be accelerated."

Angell also added:

"While there is not yet a cure for HIV, it is vital that everyone knows we have an incredibly effective HIV treatment. This treatment means that people living with HIV can expect to live a long and healthy life. If they take their medication as prescribed, they cannot pass the virus on to others."

News Source: 12punto