Breakthrough Study Shows Potential for Long-Term HIV Control Without Medication
SAN FRANCISCO – A new study offers unprecedented hope for individuals living with HIV, demonstrating that a novel method kept teh virus at low levels for months – even after stopping medication – in seven out of ten patients. Researchers describe the results as a significant step toward developing a therapy that could allow peopel to live healthy lives without lifelong antiviral treatment.
The study, published in nature, tested the new method on ten patients. while three experienced typical rapid viral relapse, six maintained low virus levels for months, and one patient experienced no relapse at all.
“I believe we are finally making real progress in developing a therapy that could allow people to live healthy lives without having to take medication for the rest of their lives,” said study co-author Steven Deeks in a statement from the university.
Antiretroviral therapy, introduced in the 1990s, dramatically transformed HIV infection from a fatal disease to a manageable chronic condition.Though, the virus persists within the body and typically reactivates within two weeks of treatment cessation.
Researchers investigating the success of long-term viral control discovered that responding patients possessed T cells capable of rapid multiplication upon encountering the virus. Co-author Rachel Rutishauser explained the immune response as being akin to “a cat getting ready to pounce on a mouse.”
The study’s authors emphasize that while the findings suggest the possibility of controlling HIV without ongoing antiviral treatment - a potential pathway toward a cure for the 40 million people worldwide living with the disease – larger studies are crucial to validate the treatment’s efficacy before it can replace standard care.
“This is not the end,” stated lead author Michael Peluso. “But it proves that we can make progress on a challenge we frequently enough think of as insurmountable.”
(Source: ntv.de, kst)
