Cure for HIV? CRISPR gene editing shows promise

hiv

Have researchers taken a step closer to developing an eventual cure for HIV? A Temple University-led team hopes so, by using a gene editing technique to successfully remove HIV infection from lab mice. The gene-editing tool called CRISPR — which allows scientists to basically cut out and insert specific portions of DNA — was used to excise HIV DNA from the mice.

This was the first time CRISPR has been used to shut down HIV replication and eliminate the virus from animal cells…The research, published in the journal Molecular Therapy, involved three animal models, including a “humanized” model where human immune cells infected with the virus were transplanted in lab mice.

While the work signals progress, the medical community still sees years of work ahead before there’s a reliable cure for HIV. According to the World Health Organization, 36.7 million people were reported to be living with HIV globally by the end of 2015.

While current drug treatments can reduce the virus to virtually undetectable levels — enabling many patients to live longer, healthier lives — HIV continues to lurk in hidden reservoirs and comes roaring back if treatment stops

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: Researchers use gene editing to eliminate HIV infection in mice

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