Is there a cure for HIV? Scientists remain 'cautiously optimistic'

'We need to work together in order to reduce the number of HIV infections.'

Researchers have discovered a possible cure for HIV/AIDS.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - According to their findings, which were published to Science Direct, testing on lab rats demonstrated the "feasibility and efficiency" of removing HIV-1 provirus, using the gene-editing technique "Crispr."

Crispr/Cas9 can introduce double-strand breaks in specific sections of DNA, which can stop HIV from spreading.

The mice used in the experiments were given human immune cells before scientist successfully removed HIV from the spleen, lungs, heart, colon and brain with only one injection of Crispr.

Currently, this injection can prevent HIV from spreading only if taken continuously.

Researchers from Temple University and Pittsburgh University encountered several complications, including early animal experiments that began well but were unsuccessful later in the process.

These issues are not insurmountable and the team believes the genome editing "provides a promising cure for HIV-1/Aids."

Dr Nicola Patron, synthetic biology group leader at the Earlham Institute, explained: "Retroviruses like HIV integrate a proviral DNA into the genome of the host cells during infection to enable replication.

"Although drugs currently used to treat HIV can suppress replication, they cannot remove the proviral DNA from the infected cell's genome.

"This work uses CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology to excise proviral DNA from infected human cells embedded in the tissues of experimental animals.

"If similar techniques can be made to work in primates and humans, it could potentially lead to a permanent cure."

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