New Gene Therapy Shows Promise for HIV Cure

By Norman Metanza

A groundbreaking new gene therapy has successfully "functionally cured" monkeys infected with SHIV, offering a significant leap forward in the long-struggling fight against HIV. This innovative treatment works by delivering a gene that blocks the CCR5 receptor, a critical entry point for the virus, leading to sustained control for over a year after just a single injection.

New Gene Therapy Shows Promise for HIV Cure

Researchers have developed a novel gene therapy that has successfully "functionally cured" some monkeys infected with a simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV).
According to Science, this therapy involves delivering a gene that produces an antibody designed to block the CCR5 receptor, which HIV uses to infect cells.
The gene therapy aims to prevent HIV from entering cells by targeting the CCR5 receptor, a critical entry point for the virus.
Six monkeys have demonstrated control over their SHIV infections for more than a year following a single injection of the gene therapy.
As reported by Aidsmap, this sustained control suggests a potential "functional cure," where the virus is suppressed without daily medication.
This breakthrough offers new momentum for gene-therapy approaches in the long-struggling effort to combat the AIDS virus.

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