Michael Schubert is a veteran science and medicine communicator. He writes across all areas of the life sciences and medicine but specializes in the study of the very small — from the genes that make our bodies work to the chemicals that could support life on other planets. Mick holds graduate degrees in medical biochemistry and molecular biology.
Researchers have developed an experimental HIV treatment that sustains itself in the body, with the goal of controlling virus levels for the long term after a single dose.
About 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV, but only about three-quarters of them are currently receiving antiretroviral therapy, the standard treatment. A smaller percentage are virally suppressed, meaning the amount of HIV in their body has declined to extremely low levels.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.To overcome some of the issues with existing antiretrovirals, a group of researchers developed a new type of treatment: an engineered form of the virus that can outcompete HIV in the body. They found that the macaques that received TIPs had 10,000 times lower levels of virus than four infected monkeys that hadn't received the shot. The TIP-injected monkeys also had stronger immune responses and no evidence of inflammation. The untreated monkeys had quickly developed severe illnesses.As designed, the TIPs continued to replicate in the macaques' bodies throughout the entire study period, hinting that long-lasting treatment may be possible.
"You're reducing viral replication a lot, which could allow people to live with fewer symptoms because far fewer of their T cells are being destroyed," Wildfire told Live Science. But he doesn't think the treatment will last indefinitely.
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