By Frank Kamuntu
A blood cancer drug could take us one step further to a cure for HIV, scientists say.
Venetoclax helps kill “silent” HIV cells and delay reinfections of the deadly virus, Australian researchers found.
The hidden, dormant cells cannot currently be treated by any therapy options and are the reason people with the virus need lifelong medication.
Dr Philip Arandjelovic, of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne, said: “In attacking dormant HIV cells and delaying viral rebound, venetoclax has shown promise beyond that of currently approved treatments.
“Every achievement in delaying this virus from returning brings us closer to preventing the disease from re-emerging in people living with HIV.
“Our findings are hopefully a step towards this goal.”
Around 106,000 Brits are thought to be living with HIV, according to the Terrence Higgins Trust.
Most HIV patients are given antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the standard of care treatment, which stops the virus replicating in the body and allows the immune system to recover.
But the drugs do not target hibernating HIV-infected cells, meaning it can only suppress the virus, not cure it.
If people stop taking ART, hibernating HIV–infected cells reactivate quickly, causing a resurgence of the virus.
Venetoclax, sold under the brand names Venclexta and Venclyxto, is normally used to treat leukaemia.
It blocks certain proteins on cancer cells that help them grow and survive. By blocking this protein it is able to kill and slow down the growth of cancer cells.
The latest study, published in Cell Reports Medicine, looked at how the drug affected hibernating HIV-infected cells.
They tested the drug on blood donated from HIV patients to see how it impacted CD4+ T cells — a type of white blood cell that is usually targeted by the virus.
The drug reduced the amount of inactive HIV DNA in the cells, indicating it is “selectively killing the infected cells”, researchers said.
Dr Arandjelovic said: “It has long been understood that one drug may not be enough to completely eliminate HIV.
“This finding has supported that theory, while uncovering venetoclax’s powerful potential as a weapon against HIV.”
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