Eliminating AIDS has been an uphill battle. But Melbourne researchers just got one step closer
One of the reasons why HIV is a formidable opponent is because it hides inside our cells, making it difficult to eliminate them. The researchers combined different lipids—fats that can deliver treatment into the cell—into a fat bubble to deliver to the right cell where the virus is hidden.
Bengaluru: Eliminating AIDS is a Sisyphian challenge. Treatments mostly miss the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) that are hidden in the body. But in a breakthrough, a team of researchers from Melbourne have found a way to root out the virus hiding in our immune cells. They claim that they can reach 75 percent of infected cells.
The study, 'Efficient mRNA delivery to resting T cells to reverse HIV latency', was published in the Nature Communications journal.
Udayakumar Ranga, a professor at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), and who was not part of the study told ThePrint, 'Even if you have the best weapon in the world, there is nothing you can do to the virus because it is silent.'
The silent virus acts like a sleeper cell
Explaining why it's so difficult for the body to fight HIV, Ujjwal Rathore, Staff Research Scientist, University of California, said, 'Those (virus particles) just look essentially like any other cells which are uninfected (and) your immune system is unable to clear those infected cells.'
Rathore was not part of the study.
Usually to fight the virus, one needs to send mRNA—a messenger to tell the cells what proteins to make—to the cells to activate and kill the virus, a normal procedure in building vaccines. Then the T Cells, a type of white blood cells that fight infection, will be motivated to produce a protein to fight the virus.
Now the challenge is how to deliver that mRNA. The usual delivery of mRNA is not effective as it breaks down by the time it reaches the T cell. 'Whereas if you make and encapsulate this mRNA into lipids and lipid nanoparticles, then the stability of mRNA increases, and the delivery is possible into cells,' Rathore added.
Inside the cell, the delivery partner knocks on the door of the T cells. Then the unboxing begins—the endosomal escape mechanism. '(This) will break down the mRNA assembly or the cargo when in contact with the T-cell. Then the mRNA will be released, and that mRNA will start expressing the protein, the targeted protein,' explained Mrinmoy De, Associate Professor, Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
With the help of the newly designed LNP (the delivery partner), the researchers used HIV's own 'master switch' protein—called Tat—to force hidden virus out of dormant immune cells.
The study is carried out by taking cells from humans, in a petri dish inside the laboratory and not on humans. 'We haven't done in this study anything in animal models or anything in people. We're not there yet,' said Cevaal.
Cevaal's study showed that one can force the hidden virus out of hiding in infected cells. However, simply revealing the virus is not enough—a second step to boost the immune attacks or adding antiviral drugs will be critical to fully clear the virus.
Imagine the virus is a thief hiding in one of many rooms in a huge palace. To catch the thief, the cops must search every single room. HIV, just like a thief, can hide in any of the CD4, special type of immune cells. So when the war room is highjacked by the HIV sleeper cells, the immunity system collapses.
This is the issue with HIV, which can enter any of the many CD4 cells in the body and hide there. To pop out the stealthy virus, the drug must enter every individual cell, like an encounter specialist.
'Only one in 10,000 to 100,000 CD4 cells may harbour a hidden virus. The therapy of making a drug enter every cell has its undesirable side effects,' said Ranga. According to Ranga the researchers did something smart. They delivered a Tat protein in the form of mRNA and was made to pop into the cells with the help of specially designed LPN.
'However, Tat protein itself is highly toxic and can cause cell death,' Ranga added. So even though they do not activate the cells, the danger remains.
'Of course this is an essential question that we are studying at the moment and that we will continue to study closely. We will perform experiments to test whether they (healthy cells) are affected by the presence of this Tat protein and up to what extent,' Cevaal added.
The potential of such studies depends on how they translate into a technology to reach patients.
'We are very much aware that the pursuit to try and resolve the HIV AIDS pandemic is very much not a done deal, that's really triggering us to continue working in this area to design a new therapeutic,' Cevaal added.
(Edited by Sanya Mathur)
Also Read: Eradicating malaria or mosquitoes? Gene editing raises ethical questions
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
15 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Dentist says ‘number 1 cause of cavities is mouth breathing not sugar'; shares 7 more oral hygiene tips
Just like your mental and physical health, your oral health matters too. Several studies have shown how poor oral care leads to several diseases, including triggering cardiovascular problems, pancreatic cancer, and a few other illnesses. Therefore, taking precautions and following proper hygiene becomes of utmost importance. The dentist stresses that one needs to floss if one wants to reduce Alzheimer's, heart disease, and stroke risk. Also Read | Fitness coach says he 'lost 25 kilos and kept it off for 17 years' using 5 weight loss hacks: Eating vegetables to sleep 8 oral hygiene tips shared by a dentist In a video shared on July 3, dentist Dr Mark Burhenne, who has over 41 years of experience, talked about oral hygiene, listing 8 things to keep in mind if you want to have healthy teeth and a mouth. Sharing the video, he wrote, 'Advice I would give you as a dentist of 41 years – if I wasn't afraid of hurting your feelings.' Let's learn more about the tips the dentist shared: 1. Stop buying gummy vitamins. According to a dental report, they tend to damage the teeth enamel. Hence, it is better to limit the consumption of gummy vitamins and brush your teeth shortly after eating them. 2. Drool on your pillow, twisted bedsheets, or snoring at any age (infant, child, or adult) means intervention is needed by an airway dentist and a myofunctional therapist (yes, it's that serious). 3. Using crest white strips is making you more prone to cavities, gum recession and sensitivity. 4. Your bad breath is caused by an oral microbiome imbalance. 5. Soda is more acidic than Coke Zero (and both are terrible for your teeth). 6. Chewing xylitol gum is an excellent and science-backed way to prevent cavities. For the uninitiated, xylitol is a low-calorie, non-glycemic sweetener. It is a sugar substitute in some gums and candies, and some oral care products, such as toothpastes, dental flosses, and mouthwashes 7. The number one cause of cavities is mouth breathing, NOT sugar. 8. You need to floss if you want to reduce Alzheimer's, heart disease, and stroke risk. Why is oral hygiene important? According to the Mayo Clinic, without good oral hygiene, germs can reach levels that might lead to infections, such as tooth decay and gum disease. Studies suggest that oral germs and inflammation might play a role in some diseases. And certain diseases, such as diabetes and HIV/AIDS, can lower the body's ability to fight infection. That can make oral health problems worse. Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
Hindustan Times
15 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Health Talk: Funding crisis threatens global HIV response, public health efforts
Scientific research, public health programmes, and various other healthcare initiatives have taken a hit as the world grapples with a funding crisis. The recent red flag has been raised by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), which leads and inspires the world in achieving universal access to HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) services. Its recent report — 2025 Global AIDS Update: AIDS, Crisis and the Power to Transform — shows that a historic funding crisis is threatening to unravel decades of progress unless countries can make radical shifts in HIV programming and funding. The report highlights the impact that sudden, large-scale funding cuts from international donors are having on countries most affected by HIV. 'Despite marked progress in the HIV response in 2024, the weakening aid consensus and significant and abrupt funding shortfalls in the HIV response in 2025 have triggered widespread disruption across health systems and cuts to front line health workers — halting HIV prevention programmes and jeopardising HIV treatment services,' the report said. Also Read: India's patent policies: Lifeline for HIV/AIDS treatment worldwide Figures shared in the report stated that at the end of 2024, US$18.7 billion was available for the AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) response in low- and middle-income countries — 17% below the US$21.9 billion needed annually by 2030 to stay on track to end AIDS as a public health threat. The report added that in 2025, the HIV financing architecture has undergone unprecedented changes — most notably, the freeze and uncertainty surrounding the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)'s funding commitments. If PEPFAR does not return to its 2024 funding level, the current 17% funding gap could widen significantly, jeopardising progress toward the 2030 global targets. This is not the only programme impacted. Also Read: HIV infections fall 22%, HIV-related deaths 40% globally: Study According to a statement issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in May, insufficient levels of predictable funding of the UN health body have hindered its ability to carry out long-term projects and support its global operations to promote health for all. Additionally, overreliance on funding from a small set of traditional donors was identified as a major organisational challenge as part of WHO's transformation initiative launched in 2017. 'The US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) has not updated its bi-weekly bird flu (H5N1) situation summary since 17 January – even if it finally published a limited edition of its Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report (MMWR) on Thursday, 6 February. In the wake of the CDC information flow shutdown and the US withdrawal from WHO, Dr Lynn Goldman, dean of the Milken Institute School of Public Health, spoke with Health Policy Watch about how public health communications and global health collaboration remains all the more critical,' Health Policy Watch reported on February 7. Also Read: Empowering India's youth: Key to HIV prevention Not to mention the grant cuts by the US government to some of its prominent universities, including Harvard and Columbia. These are just some of the examples that highlight the crisis the world is currently facing, which is likely to impact scientific research, academic work, and several healthcare initiatives — particularly affecting low- and middle-income countries in the long run. It's a rough patch, and the only solution that one can see is other resourceful countries stepping up to fill the funding gap.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
2nd phase of TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan launched across state
The state Public Health department has rolled out the second phase of the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (Tuberculosis-Free India Campaign) across all districts. The campaign will continue till December 31. The decision to have a second phase was taken after the success of the first phase from December 7, 2024 to March 24, 2025, during which 3.40 crore population was covered. Based on this mapping, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and community engagement activities will be conducted. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC) In Pune, the second phase was launched last week by the civic body. Dr Prashant Bothe, city TB officer, Pune Municipal Corporation, said, 'We have identified a target population of over 6 lakh people who will be screened under the campaign. The screening started last week and the majority of the target population includes slum dwellers, migrants, and close contacts of TB patients.' Dr Sandeep Sangale, state joint director (TB and leprosy), said that in those districts and municipal corporations where the campaign was implemented in the first phase, only the high-risk population will be screened. 'In newly-included districts, too, the teams will map high-risk areas and populations as per the central guidelines. Based on this mapping, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and community engagement activities will be conducted,' he said. Dr Bothe added that besides the high-risk population, the target population also includes individuals over 60, those with a disease history, smokers, diabetics, malnourished individuals, those living with HIV, and other such vulnerable groups. 'We have floated tenders to appoint more teams, ambulances and X-ray machines for the campaign. Screening will be done through X-ray and NAAT (Nucleic Acid Amplification Test,' he said.
