Scientists claim new ‘breakthrough’ drug can make HIV cells self-destruct
Scientists have claimed that they have created a ‘breakthrough’ drug that can make HIV cells ‘self destruct’, according to Times Of Isreal.
The drug was developed by Abraham Loyter and Assaf Friedler at Hebrew University, Jerusalem. Once the drug was added to test tubes containing the blood of 10 HIV patients, it decreased the viral load by 97%.
The pair used a peptide in the drug which caused several copies of the virus’s DNA to enter the infected cell, causing it to self-destruct.
Speaking to Channel 2, Loyter said:
“With our approach, we are destroying the cells, so there is no chance that the virus will awaken one day, because if there are no cells, there will be no cells that contain the virus.”
He adds, “The drug enhances certain processes in the body during the spreading of the virus and that enhancement kills certain cells.”
Treatment for HIV in the UK costs around £380,000 for a lifetime.
New treatments are still being worked upon, including Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) which can reduce the chance of being infected with HIV if taken daily.
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