Scientists in the United Kingdom are reporting that a new trial treatment for HIV has shown promising results, with one man no longer exhibiting any detectable trace of the virus.
The potential breakthrough therapy being developed by researchers across five British universities targets HIV in its dormant state, as opposed to current anti-retroviral therapies which cannot detect infected T-cells.
Managing director of the UK’s National Institute for Health Research Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure, Mark Samuels, says it’s “one of the first serious attempts at a full cure for HIV.”
“We are exploring the real possibility of curing HIV,” Samuels told The Times.
“This is a huge challenge and it’s still early days but the progress has been remarkable.”
The two-step treatment sees a vaccine applied to assist the body in detecting the virus before a new drug known as Vorinostat alerts the body’s immune system to the once-dormant T-cells.
Professor Sarah Fidler from the Imperial College London says the new process is designed to clear the body of all instances of HIV, including dormant ones.
“It has worked in the laboratory and there is good evidence it will work in humans too, but we must stress we are still a long way from any actual therapy,” Fidler said.
“We will continue with the medical tests for the next five years and at the moment we are not recommending stopping anti-retroviral therapy but in the future depending on the test results we may explore this.”
The aforementioned man displaying no trace of the virus says it would “be great if a cure has happened.”
The 44-year-old London man said he took part in the trial to help others as well as himself.
“It would be a massive achievement if, after all these years, something is found to cure people of this disease. The fact that I was a part of that would be incredible.”
Results of the 50 person trial treatment are expected to be published in 2018.
OIP Staff
