New treatment makes HIV virus ‘vanish’ from blood of British patient

[Sui Generis]

Scientists are hopeful of a breakthrough in the search for a HIV cure after a 44-year-old British man undergoing a new treatment showed “remarkable” progress.

Traces of the HIV virus in the man’s blood are almost completely undetectable following an innovative treatment which targets and destroys HIV in every part of the body, the Telegraph UK reports.

The man is one of 50 people currently trialling the treatment, in tests being conducted by researchers at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London, University College London and King’s College London.

Unlike conventional HIV anti-retroviral treatments (ART), which cannot spot infected dormant T-cells, the new two-step treatment can recognise the cells and “activate” them, allowing the immune system to effectively remove them from the body.


Although scientists involved in trial have obtained “good evidence” from laboratory tests, they have stressed actual treatment may be years away.

"It has worked in the laboratory and there is good evidence it will work in humans too, but we must stress we are still a long way from any actual therapy,” Professor Sarah Fidler, from Imperial College, told The Sunday Times.

"We will continue with medical tests for the next five years and at the moment we are not recommending stopping ART but in the future depending on the test results we may explore this,” Ms Fidler added.

http://www.9news.com.au/world/2016/1...ritish-patient