November 14, 2006 - first lab test of a hypothetical cure
Dec 8, 2006
Test raise hopes of an Aids cure by JOHN HIGGINSON - Tuesday, November 14, 2006 HIV HIV virus
A cure for Aids may be a step closer after scientists discovered a radiotherapy technique destroyed HIV in mice.
Radiotherapy, normally used to treat some forms of cancer, was used on mice injected with human white blood cells which were infected with the virus that can lead to Aids.
The cells were then bombarded with radioactive antibodies that cut the number of infected cells by up to 99 per cent.
The technique offers hope for humans because it kills infected cells.
Existing Aids drugs keep the disease at bay without curing it.
The pioneering work was carried out at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, which hopes to start clinical trials within two years.
Researcher Dr Arturo Casadevall said cure was a 'loaded word' but he was cautiously optimistic about the findings.
'Right now we have drugs that prevent viral replication. We don't have anything that gets rid of infected cells,' he added.
'This raises the theoretical possibility of a cure if we put patients through cycles of therapy. This therapy really attacks the infected-cell factories.'
Roger Pebody, of British Aids charity the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: 'This is a completely new approach to treating HIV and the results in mice are very encouraging.
'However, the strategy has not yet been tested on humans and we could be as long as ten years away from a viable treatment.'
My question for you is, after all this how far are we from discovering a cure for HIV? I am not asking when a cure will be publicly available, I am asking when will we see established research that can be called a cure.
Also do you know of any other hypothetical (regardless of practicality) ways of **CURING** HIV?
Response from Dr. Holodniy
In my humble opinion, we are a long way from any cure. And no I am not aware of any hypothetical ways of curing HIV infection.
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