Scientists from the University of Amsterdam presented the first results of the research at a medical conference this week, highlighting that it still needs further exploration, according to the BBC.
The new technology used in the study, called Crispr, has won a Nobel Prize and allows DNA to be cut so that the “bad” parts are eliminated from the cell. It works almost like scissors, but on a molecular level.
The researchers' goal is to completely eliminate the HIV virus that causes AIDS from the body, but James Dixon, professor of stem cell technologies and gene therapy at the University of Nottingham, admits that the study results still need comprehensive analysis.
“More work will be needed to prove that the results of these cellular tests can occur in the whole body for future treatment,” he says, highlighting that “further developments” are needed before the research “can have an impact on people with HIV.” Human immunity. “.
Currently, existing anti-HIV medications can only stop the virus, they cannot eliminate it.
HIV infects cells of the immune system, attacks them and reproduces. Even with effective treatment, infected people simply enter a “resting state,” retaining the virus in their DNA, even if they do not actively produce it.
People with HIV must receive treatment for the rest of their lives, because stopping treatment can “awaken” the virus and cause problems again.
Jonathan Stoye, a virus expert at the Francis Crick Institute in London, confirms that removing HIV from all cells in the body that could harbor it is “very difficult.”
“The effects of off-target therapy, with potential long-term side effects, remain a concern,” he noted.
In the case of Portugal, it has been 40 years since the first case of HIV infection was detected, and since 2000 there has been a downward trend in the number of new infections and AIDS-related cases and deaths, according to the National Institute of Statistics.
Emily Brontë is a journalist and feature writer specialising in culture, entertainment, literature, and current affairs. She is dedicated to producing clear, accurate reporting that helps readers stay informed about developments in the UK and around the world.
