Researchers have made a significant stride in combating HIV by leveraging the Crispr gene-editing technology, which earned a Nobel Prize, to successfully remove the virus from infected cells. This technique, functioning on a molecular level akin to scissors, allows for the precise cutting of DNA to eliminate or deactivate harmful segments. While this groundbreaking approach holds promise for eventually eradicating the virus from the body, extensive further research is required to ensure its safety and efficacy.
Current HIV treatments are capable of suppressing the virus but cannot fully remove it. The work, described as a “proof of concept” by the University of Amsterdam team, was shared at a medical conference, indicating that a cure for HIV remains a distant prospect.
Dr. James Dixon, an associate professor specializing in stem-cell and gene-therapy technologies at the University of Nottingham, concurs that thorough evaluation of the complete findings is necessary. He emphasized the need for additional development before this method could potentially benefit HIV patients.
The task of eliminating HIV from all potentially harboring cells in the body is acknowledged as “extremely challenging” by other researchers also exploring Crispr’s applications against HIV. Excision BioTherapeutics has reported that three HIV volunteers demonstrated no severe side effects after 48 weeks of treatment. However, Dr. Jonathan Stoye, a virus expert at the Francis Crick Institute in London, highlighted the formidable challenge and potential “off-target effects” with long-term implications of the treatment.
Given that HIV infects immune-system cells and can remain dormant, making complete eradication complex, most HIV patients require continuous antiretroviral therapy to prevent the virus from reactivating. Although rare instances of apparent “cures” have occurred through aggressive cancer therapy, such measures are not advisable solely for HIV treatment.
