Recent HIV Treatment Developments In Gene Therapy

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There have been a lot of discoveries in the last few years regarding gene therapy. A variety of diseases and genetic malfunctions in the human body are being addressed through these treatments. Three of the most recent among them offer hope for HIV sufferers. The developments in gene therapy push the boundaries of medical science further, every day. There are diseases and genetic orders of the past which have been readily treated with this sort of therapy despite former beliefs that no treatment might be possible.

Antiretroviral drugs designed to treat HIV have shown remarkable progress. However, they do not cure the affliction and the CD4 (white blood cell) count will usually remain quite low after using these drugs. Gene therapy has been discussed and beginning tests have shown positive results.

HIV requires a certain protein (CCR5) to be present on the surface of white blood cells in order to infect them. There are some people which are almost entirely immune to this virus naturally due to the existent of an alternate protein form in their genetics. This factor lead to the consideration that removed of the protein that HIV uses to infect a white blood cell might lead to an effective cure.

The gene therapy testing is in its earliest phase at present. However, in five out of six subjects there was an increase in overall CD4 counts that range from nearly 100 per microliter to nearly 1,000 per microliter after a year of therapy. In a two week testing period this number ranged from 35 to over 1,000.

The therapy itself consists of removing cells from the body and genetically modifying them to remove the CCR5 protein. The cells have been shown to work well when returned to the body and seem both healthy and fertile. They continue to multiply at normal rates over time. As the cells grow and multiply within the body, it is hoped that the end result will lead to a cure for HIV.

While not every participant has shown improvement most of them have. Generally speaking, five out of six individuals who have participated have shown improvement. These test results after one year include improvements well beyond what typical antiretroviral drugs have provided.

Future test phases will include an expanded participation base utilizing people with varying levels of infection. It will also include individuals who have been unsuccessfully treated with the current antiretroviral drugs.

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