After a successful progression to suppress Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) virus (HIV), researchers now shift their focus towards complete eradication of this disease.
From suppression of AIDS, the focus now shifts to its complete eradication
HIGHLIGHTS
- A compound which is the key to the complete destruction of HIV developed
- This treatment is expected to promote complete recovery from AIDS
- Removal of this viral reservoir is now the top goal in AIDS research
After a successful progression to suppress Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome virus (HIV), researchers now shift their focus towards complete eradication of this disease. Researchers in Japan at the Kumamoto University have come up with a compound which is the perfect tool to put an end to HIV. This compound, when introduced to infected cells, it suppresses the virus from spreading to the other cells and confine it to just the host cells. These cells then die naturally through apoptosis (cell death). This treatment is expected to promote complete recovery from AIDS in the future.
The study titled "A clue to unprecedented strategy to HIV eradication: "Lock-in and apoptosis" was published on 2nd October, 2017, in the journal named Scientific Reports.
In the past years, multi-drug therapy came into view for suppressing HIV multiplication in the body when taken properly. However, this method cannot remove the virus particles of the HIV reservoir, non-replicating particles which continue to be dormant in body cells. When the drug administration is stopped, viral load increases again. Removal of this viral reservoir is now the top goal in AIDS research.
The "kick and kill" approach, developed years ago, is a strategy prepared for killing the reservoir cells. When the drug is targets the reservoir cells, the virus is activated. This allows the immune system to effectively use the reservoir cells as a landmark. This approach was clinically tested but proved to be ineffective in deactivating the virus after successful activation.
Also read: How To Lower Down Your Risk Of Getting HIV?
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