Medical breakthrough! Drug developed by gene editing could cure HIV-AIDS

In a big medical breakthrough, a new drug has been created that can cure AIDS. A team of researchers have developed a new vaccine using gene editing that can cure HIV-AIDS.

HIV was first discovered in a type of chimpanzee in Central Africa and was seen in humans in the late 1800s. It is to be noted that at the moment there is no cure for HIV-AIDS.

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) attacks the body’s immune system. If this is not treated properly, it can lead to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It is believed that the HIV virus jumped from chimpanzees to humans as far back as the late 1800s.

This research has been conducted by a team of researchers from the School of Neurobiology, Biochemistry, and Biophysics at The George S Wise Faculty of Life Sciences in Tel Aviv University. The researchers were successful in neutralising the virus with a single vaccine developed by engineering-type B white blood cells that activate the immune system to produce HIV-neutralising antibodies.

B cells are a type of white blood cell responsible for generating antibodies against viruses, and bacteria and are formed in the bone marrow. When the engineered-type B cells encounter the virus, the virus stimulates and encourages them to divide. Dr Barzel explains, that we have been able to accurately introduce the antibodies into a desired site in the B cell genome.

Those who have been administered the treatment responded well and had high quantities of the desired antibody in their blood. Researchers expect that over the coming years they will be able to produce medication for AIDS.

“Additionally, in this case, we have been able to accurately introduce the antibodies into a desired site in the B cell genome. All lab models that had been administered the treatment responded, and had high quantities of the desired antibody in their blood. We produced the antibody from the blood and made sure it was actually effective in neutralising the HIV virus in the lab dish,” Dr Barzel explained.