Danish Scientists Make A Breakthrough In HIV Infection Case
(L-R)
International AIDS President Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, AIDS 2014
Co-Chair Dr Sharon Lewin, Associate Professor at John Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health Dr Deborah Persaud, Associate Professor of
Medicine Harvard University Dr Dan Barouch, Senior Researcher Aarhus
University Dr Ole Schmeltz Søgaard, Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute
of Florida Dr Nicholas Chomont and Professor of Medicine at University
of California Dr Steven Deeks.
Today at the International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Danish researchers have revealed that they have now finally been able to activate hidden HIV infected cells using a cancer drug, this would make it easier to kill the virus in the body.
The latest discovery was made by the Danish scientists from the prestigious Aarhus University in Denmark and they made the revelation to the amazement of other researchers in the conference.
Senior Researcher Ole Sogaard revealed that HIV was known to hibernate in the body’s so called “reservoirs”, and come out later to infect patients.
He admitted his team used a cancer treatment drug known as Romidepsin and gave it to six HIV-positive
test patients on antiretroviral therapy at the university hospital.
He said: “We have now shown that we can activate a hibernating virus with Romidepsin and that the activated virus moves into the bloodstream in large amounts, “he said.
Sogard admitted that only 5 of 6 patients experienced a significant release of viral cells after getting the drugs, he said: “The data is enough to say it was successful to kick the virus out of the cells".
Senior Researcher, Ole Sogaard
Professor of Medicine at University of California Dr Steven Deeks said that their work in finding the reservoirs was part of a larger study was just one part of a bigger study into the possibilities of combining the activation of the virus and making a new Vaccine to strengthen the patients immune system.
"Ole’s data has for the first time shown we are able to shock the virus out of its hiding place, It means getting the virus out of its hiding place and once we get it we can kill it,” he said.
