Nature sub-journal: 'kick and kill' strategy to eliminate HIV-infected cells

Published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Communications, Dr.

"These findings demonstrate the concept of a possible therapeutic strategy to eliminate HIV from the body, a task that has been virtually insurmountable for many years," said Kim, lead author of the

According to the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), 38 million people worldwide are now living with HIV, and an estimated 36 million people have died from HIV-related illnesses in the decades since HIV began spreading

People living with HIV take antiretroviral drugs to control the virus

The UCLA-led study goes on to investigate a strategy called "kick-and-kill" that many scientists first described in a 2017 paper

But a more efficient way to kill these cells is needed

In the new study, the researchers used SUW133 to flush HIV-infected cells out of hiding when mice were treated with antiretroviral drugs

The researchers also analyzed the spleens of the mice -- a good place to look for latent HIV-infected cells because the spleen contains immune cells -- and found no virus there, suggesting that HIV-carrying cells were eliminated

The researchers' next goal, Kim said, is to further refine their method of eliminating HIV in 100 percent of the mice they test in future experiments

Journal Reference :

1. Jocelyn T.