The human immunodeficiency virus is a retrovirus of the genus lentivirus that causes slowly progressive HIV infection leading to the emergence of the patient of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Scientists around the world for decades have been struggling to find a way to remove the virus from the cells of the human immune system, instead of just constantly suppress his symptoms, prolonging the patient’s life. A German scientist from Hamburg finally managed to do it.
German researchers have managed to fully remove the HIV virus from living cells, which opens up incredible medicine perspective. First of all, in the very near future, this technique can be used to defeat AIDS. Current therapeutic treatments for this disease are that the symptoms of HIV just suppress in the body of the patient, reducing the number of infected cells using different drugs. But to completely remove the virus from the human body up to this point was simply impossible.
The German specialists managed to create a specific antiviral agent, which completely rids the body cells from the majority of strains and subtypes of HIV-1 (recall that there are 2 types of this virus). The drug was codenamed Brec1, and, as shown by tests carried out in vitro, is able to effectively, accurately, and safely remove the integrated virus. Experiments on mice with implanted infected human cells have also demonstrated the victory over the virus. Clinical trials on humans should begin in Hamburg in the near future. The details of the opening are available on the website Nature.com.