Breakthrough in HIV Research focuses on Harnessing Body’s Natural Defenses
Barcelona, Spain – In a landmark development offering renewed hope in the fight against HIV, researchers are increasingly focusing on the potential of “natural killer” cells - or NK cells – to eradicate the virus fully.This follows the recent announcement of the seventh confirmed case globally of an HIV cure, the second to occur in Berlin, sparking a surge of investigation into the mechanisms behind these rare remissions.
For over four decades, HIV has impacted an estimated 39 million people worldwide, presenting a persistent global health challenge. While antiretroviral therapies effectively manage the virus, a complete cure has remained elusive.The latest success, coupled with ongoing research led by the international IciStem consortium, suggests a path toward a functional cure may be within reach, shifting the focus from blocking the virus’ entry point to bolstering the body’s own immune response.
Leading the IciStem consortium is Javier Martínez-Picado, an ICREA research professor at the IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute in Barcelona. His team’s work centers on understanding the role of CCR5, a protein on white blood cells that HIV uses to infect cells. The 2009 case of the “Berlin patient,” cured after a bone marrow transplant for cancer, highlighted the importance of a genetic mutation (CCR5-Δ32) that prevents CCR5 expression, rendering cells resistant to HIV. This finding spurred research into therapies to block the CCR5 protein and achieve a broader cure.
However, the recent cases are revealing a crucial additional player: NK cells. “They have a ‘very evil’ name,” Martínez-Picado notes,”but they are key because they look for HIV hidden in the last corner of the body and eliminate it completely.” Researchers are now prioritizing therapies designed to activate these cells,empowering them to seek out and destroy the virus even in its most concealed reservoirs.
“Now we are looking for therapies to activate them, so that they do this work,” Martínez-Picado explained. When asked about the possibility of a worldwide HIV cure, he affirmed, “I will work for that every day.” The IciStem consortium,spearheaded from Spain,represents a critical international effort driving this promising new direction in HIV research.
