Researchers from the UCLA Ely and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research have made a breakthrough in stem cell research that may help treat HIV. 

Scientists inserted a man-made molecule into blood-forming stem cells to suppress the HIV virus in “humanised” mice.  The molecule was chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and it was inserted into blood-forming stem cells.  The blood forming stem cells then go on to generate T cells that attack viruses within the body.  HIV does a good job of avoiding detection by T cells under normal circumstances.  By adding CAR to the stem cells, the T cells gained more information about how to find and kill HIV. 

The mice used in the tests were called ‘humanised’ because they were given a human-like immune system.  In the mice, the modified T cells killed between 80% and 95% of the HIV virus.  The study was published in the journal Molecular Therapy.

One of the paper’s authors, Dr Scott Kitchen says: “We hope this approach could one day allow HIV-positive individuals to reduce or even stop their current HIV drug regimen and clear the virus from the body altogether”

Other manmade molecules have been developed to help the body deal with HIV, but the virus can mutate to avoid being killed, making them gradually less effective.  Researchers suggest that if stem cell research continues to show positive results for dealing with HIV, a cure could be available within a decade.  

The only person to have ever been cured of HIV was Timothy Brown, who received a stem cell treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia in 2007.  Doctors were surprised to discover the stem cell treatment killed his HIV infection in addition to treating his leukaemia.

From: Blood-forming Stem Cell Research Helps Immune System Kill Hiv Virus

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