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A team of scientists at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne has made a significant advancement in the quest for an HIV cure. Utilizing mRNA technology, the researchers have developed a novel method that exposes hidden HIV within white blood cells, a breakthrough that could transform treatment for nearly 40 million people living with the virus globally.
Current HIV therapies suppress the virus but do not eliminate it, necessitating lifelong medication. One of the primary challenges in curing HIV has been the virus’s ability to remain dormant in so-called “reservoirs” of infected cells, which evade detection by the immune system and are unaffected by antiretroviral drugs. This allows the virus to reactivate even after suppression to undetectable levels, should medication be halted.
The research team has addressed this issue by engineering a new type of lipid nanoparticle (LNP), termed LNP X, which is capable of being absorbed by the target white blood cells. Once inside these cells, the mRNA triggers the exposure of the latent virus, potentially rendering it vulnerable to treatment or immune response.
This innovative approach employs mRNA technology similar to that used in COVID-19 vaccines, but with a unique formulation designed to target a new type of cell. The initial results, published in *Nature Communications*, demonstrated a significant improvement over previous attempts, with consistent outcomes observed in laboratory settings using cells from HIV-positive individuals.
While this discovery is promising, researchers caution that it remains in the early stages. Further testing will include animal models, followed by safety and efficacy trials in humans—a process likely to span several years. Experts have noted that this method could also have broader applications, including potential uses in cancer therapies involving similar white blood cells.
Despite the excitement surrounding the breakthrough, some experts urge caution regarding the feasibility of reaching all virus-harboring cells throughout the body with this method. Nonetheless, this development represents a crucial step towards making the invisible virus visible, bringing researchers closer to the long-sought goal of a functional cure for HIV.
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