pronged approach offers hope for elimination
Researchers testing a three-part treatment on infant rhesus macaques found that early intervention within 72 hours of exposure to a SHIV virus may prevent it from establishing permanent reservoirs. This study offers potential new pathways for HIV prevention and treatment.
Why it matters
Advancements in understanding how to prevent the establishment of viral reservoirs are critical for the long-term goal of curing HIV in humans.
Certain treatments can prevent HIV from progressing to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome ( AIDS ). However, they do not eliminate the virus completely, so it can return if treatment stops.
As researchers continue searching for ways to prevent or cure HIV, scientists involved in a new study tested a combination of treatments in primates.
They found that starting a three-part treatment within 3 days of exposure may stop a similar virus from becoming permanently established.
The study is published in Nature Microbiology .
The World Health Organization (WHO) describes HIV as “a virus that attacks the body’s immune system.” Without treatment, HIV can progress to AIDS.
HIV-related deaths have declined over the years, and improvements in treatments such as antiretroviral therapy (ART) have contributed to this.
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