Researchers discover possible treatment for HIV infection
- Blocking an enzyme can stop HIV from becoming infectious, researchers found
- The benefits persisted a month later in 80% of infected animals
- It's a first step, but researchers say it's promising
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(NewsNation) — A pair of studies highlight a possible new treatment for HIV infection.
The studies, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institute on Aging (NIA), and National Cancer Institute (NCI), found blocking an enzyme that plays a role in forming HIV particles stopped the virus from becoming infectious, according to the NIMH.
Researchers conducted the studies by using a compound they developed that can inhibit the enzyme’s release. They then tracked HIV’s spread in human cell lines and mice with a “humanized immune system,” according to the NIMH.
The benefits persisted a month later in 80% of infected animals – that’s even after the treatment was removed.
The pre-clinical studies are a first stop, but researchers say the findings point to the possibility of developing medications that can kill HIV-infected cells, according to the NIMH. That’s something that currently no HIV medications on the market can do.
