Major Breakthrough in AIDS Treatment: Successful Stem Cell Transplantation Curbs HIV in Macaques
Significant advance in definitive treatment of AIDS: macaques with HIV treated with stem cell transplant
A new study conducted on primates in the USA has shown promising results in the treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The study involved stem cell transplantation and could potentially lead to a definitive cure for AIDS, a disease that affects nearly 38 million people worldwide.
Researchers from Oregon Health and Science University carried out the study using HIV-carrying macaques, which are commonly used in AIDS research due to their susceptibility to the virus. The goal was to investigate the effectiveness of stem cell transplants in treating HIV.
Out of the eight macaques involved in the study, four received stem cell transplants from healthy donors. Remarkably, two of the macaques treated with stem cells successfully defeated HIV after developing graft versus host disease (GVHD). Even after four years of treatment, these two macaques remained HIV-negative.
The study also revealed that HIV was first cleared from the blood and then from the lymph nodes in the treated macaques. This finding suggests that in humans who have shown signs of recovery after cell transplant treatment, the disease may relapse when HIV from the lymph nodes re-enters the circulation.
Richard Maziarz, co-author of the study, emphasized the importance of linking macaque studies with human research for gaining valuable insights and potential treatment methods. Maziarz stated, “Our research results show the importance of linking macaque studies with human research for answers that might not otherwise be available.”
In the future, the researchers plan to identify the specific molecules targeted by the immune systems of the successfully treated macaques. This information could potentially contribute to the development of more targeted and effective treatment options for HIV/AIDS.
The study’s results were published in the journal “Immunity” and are highly promising for the future of AIDS treatment. Although further research and clinical trials are necessary, this breakthrough brings us one step closer to a definitive cure for AIDS, providing hope for the millions of individuals affected by the disease worldwide.
