Another breakthrough against the fight against the dreaded AIDs disease takes the medical community a step closer in producing its cure. Scientists found a way to genetically edit HIV by literally snipping it off the infected cell. The genetic engineering method of ridding HIV off the cell performed on a lab mouse is a performance by scientists from the Temple university School of Medicine. A cure for AIDs is at hand
Professor Kamel Khalili, Director for Temple University's Neurovirology Department, leads the breakthrough in a search for a cure for AIDs. The team doing the genetic editing of infected cells uses a tool called CRISPR / cas9 technology in excising specific parts of the DNA from the lab mouse.
The CRISPR also shut down the HIV virus and stopped its replication. The process will eventually get rid of the HIV virus from the animal. The CRISPR instrument would be like a microscopic scissor cutting away parts of the infected DNA and replacing it with new ones.
The research of Professor Khalili and his assistant Wenhui Hu, associate professor in Temple University School of Medicine's Center for Metabolic Disease Research and Department of Pathology, and their research team is published in the journal Molecular Therapy. The study includes three models that include a human infected cell transplanted to mice for the research. The team was surprised at how things went with their research and consequent trials, reports CBS News.
The breakthrough is not permanent as of now as the trials are still in its early stages. Scientists are now aiming to replicate their findings on the next trials on primates in the search for a Cure for AIDs. The team is to induce HIV virus on the apes and eliminate the HIV-1 DNA virus on infected T-cells from the subjects. There are other sanctuary areas where the HIV-1 DNA tends to hide and that includes the brain cells, reports Techcrunch.
With the breakthrough going in positive tarnsition, the team is ready to take the next step. Professor Khalili and Professor Hu will ultimately have their tests on humans when all angles of the process are ready and points to the direction in the search for the cure of AIDs.
