There is currently no known cure for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). At the moment, antiretroviral treatment (ART) is the only known method utilised by doctors worldwide to control the virus. Through this treatment, the viral load in the body can be lowered to the point where the virus is undetectable, making it possible for patients to live long and healthy lives.
However, this treatment does not entirely wipe out the virus from the body. The virus still resides within a group of cells called the “HIV reservoir.” For this reason, medical experts and scientists have been continuously doing their best to find a cure for HIV. Thanks to advancements in medical technology and the years of research, medical experts are hopeful they would soon find a breakthrough.
Potential HIV treatment methods
While new treatment methods have been discovered, they remain inconclusive and still require years of studies and clinical trials before they can be made available to the public. However, various researchers are eyeing three possible treatment plans with the hopes of eventually making a significant breakthrough. Let us share what these treatments entail:
1. Treatment-Free remission
Treatment-free remission is the alternative goal to a classic cure in which the virus would be controlled without the need for ART drugs. The only known treatment for HIV thus far involves ART medicines, which an HIV-positive patient needs to take every day. However, these drugs are expensive, so researchers are looking to introduce a more cost-effective treatment plan.
Medical professionals are looking for an alternative method to keep the virus under control without relying on ART drugs or any current HIV-related medicines. Researchers are now conducting and studying numerous therapies, such as antibody therapies and therapeutic vaccines, hoping to discover a way to suppress the virus without the need to consume these drugs daily.
2. Viral eradication
Some scientists believe it would take a two-part treatment to completely eradicate HIV from a person’s body. These scientists look to prod the dormant virus out of the HIV reservoir before administering other treatment methods to eliminate the HIV-infected cells.
The first part of the treatment plan would involve using latency-reversing agents to stimulate the cells in the HIV reservoir to multiply and express proteins. Once the cells are drawn out, they will be targeted for eradication by either the immune system or other forms of anti-HIV therapy.
3. Gene editing
Back in 2019, medical experts in China utilised CRISPR gene-editing technology to imitate a rare gene that provides natural immunity to HIV before transplanting the gene-edited cells into a patient with HIV and blood cancer. The edited cells managed to survive in the person’s body for over a year without causing any side effects. However, the number of gene-edited cells was just not high enough to significantly decrease the viral load in the person’s blood.
This treatment method was inspired by a case study back in 2007, where a patient with HIV, named Timothy Ray Brown, was effectively cured of the virus through a stem cell transplant. Timothy underwent a bone marrow transplant to treat his leukaemia. His donor carried a rare gene called “CCR5”, which makes a person resistant to the virus. The transplant granted Timothy immunity to HIV, and after 14 years, there remains no trace of the virus in his body. This result was what the Chinese researchers were hoping to achieve.
Conclusion
While these treatment methods remain inconclusive and require further research, we should not give up hope of finding a cure for HIV in the near future. With today’s modern technology and the ever-increasing knowledge about the virus, it may be possible to find a cure for HIV in the future. In the meantime, we can continue to do our part by increasing HIV awareness through various platforms like social media and going for regular HIV testing.
If you suspect you may be at risk of contracting the virus, it is best to schedule an appointment with an STD clinic in Singapore immediately. At Elyon Clinic, we provide confidential sexual health check-ups for our patients. If you are looking to arrange an appointment, you can contact us at 6802 7208.