Looking for a radical cure for HIV / AIDS?

Scientists at the University of California have found a way that some infected cells become latent and escape the detection of immune mechanisms. Since then, they are developing a drug that can eradicate this dangerous virus.

One of the difficulties of current HIV treatments is that it is impossible to detect potentially infected cells in the human body. Accordingly, after infecting the body, some HIV-infected cells will become "dormant" and can reactivate again after many years, endangering the lives of patients. Researchers have been unable to explain why these cells become latent and avoid being detected by the immune system for a long time.

Recent research by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco has found the answer to this.

Accordingly, they discovered how HIV cells could become latent and evade detection by the immune system - or inactivity - by refusing to reproduce like a normal infected cell. .

Experts have tested 18 HIV patients and said they could develop a drug that could kill hibernation cells.

Usually, the virus infects CD4 T cells , a type of immune cell and uses cell DNA to create viral RNA, which transports genetic messages to make proteins. This mechanism helps spread new viruses more infectious.

However, in the latent stage, an HIV-infected cell will stop reproducing for a long time. Because they cannot reproduce the virus, it is difficult to use current treatments. They can be fatal when returning to operation.

Dr Steven Yukl, of the University of California, San Francisco, said: 'Cells with latent infection are very rare, only one in a million CD4 T cells and we don't know how to correct them. define them. The fact that they "hibernated" and suddenly returned to their activities was not properly understood. So before there was no treatment that could kill latent cells or prevent them from activating again. '

HIV-infected viruses can become latent and difficult to detect by the body's immune mechanism, making it difficult to treat.

Dr. Yukl conducted a series of tests on latent cells. They discovered fragments of viral RNA, suggesting that the virus tried to copy the RNA sequence but failed.

Scientists say that if the cells could be forced to complete the cloning process, they would no longer be potential for current treatments.

The research team has completed some tests on this new treatment. However, to be able to launch this drug to the market still has to wait a little longer.