![Researchers remove AIDS virus from mouse genome](https://img.passeportsante.net/1000x526/2019-07-04/i89816-virus-sida.jpeg)
July 4, 2019
HIV soon to be eradicated? This is the hope given by American researchers who have just found how to eliminate HIV from the DNA of an infected mouse.
A promising advance
Researchers from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and the University of Nebraska Center in the United States have found a way to permanently eliminate the HIV-1 AIDS virus of the genome of nine mice. In all, 29 mice were treated against the human immunodeficiency virus.
These mice received a treatment based on retrovirals called LASER ART (long-acting), which act more slowly in the body. Scientists also used a gene ablation technique. The results show that the virus is no longer present in their body. Antiretrovirals block the replication of the AIDS virus. However, the DNA remains in the patient’s genome. It is these genetic scissors called CRISPR-Cas9 which made it possible to remove a section to insert a new sequence of genes. This technique helped cure AIDS infection in mice.
Human testing in 2020
Although the researchers believe it will take another year to see that the virus is effectively eliminated, further tests will be conducted on primates. The therapy will then be tested in humans by 2020.
The head of the neuroscience department of Temple university medical school, Dr Kamel Khalili, believes that “ We now have a clear path to move forward “. The study is just a first step for the research team. Scientists will have to analyze the side effects of these genetic manipulations but also their risks. However, this progress brings hope for people living with HIV.
Stephanie Haerts
Read also: A new discovery in the search for an AIDS vaccine