Scientists Remove HIV from Human Immune Cells

(Photo: NIH)

Scientists have made a breakthrough in the search for a more effective treatment for HIV. Researchers at Temple University in Philadelphia used gene editing techniques to remove the HIV-1 virus from the genome of human immune cells, thus preventing the replication of the virus in those cells. UPI reports:

The CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing method uses RNA proteins to alter targeted sections of DNA in a cell. Previously, scientists at Temple had edited HIV DNA out of human cell lines. The new study, using patient cells grown in the lab, showed cleared cells were no longer susceptible to infection by HIV. [...]

The scientists edited out the HIV-1 proviral DNA in T-cell genomes of human cell lines using CRISPR, finding the cells were protected from reinfection by other, unedited cells.

Using T-cells from HIV patients grown in cell culture, the scientists reported using the gene editing method lowered viral load in the patient's cells, suggesting it could be used as a treatment.

-via American Digest