Drug shows promise in eliminating HIV from the body & could bring us one step closer to a potential cure
Queerty, “We used the decay rate from the trial to make a prediction model for reservoir clearance which estimates 99.99% clearance in just under 3 years (2.86 yr).”“These data suggest that our Jak inhibitors can not only reverse the immune dysfunction that prevents HIV-1 cure, but also significantly decay the reservoir in people living with HIV,” said Reece in a press statement.“Collectively our trial demonstrates a mechanism by which ruxolitinib, or other Jak inhibitors such as baricitinib, also extensively studied by our group, decay the reservoir, which underscores potential for cure-based therapies.”The team point out that, “the study focused on the peripheral viral reservoir and may not fully represent the entire viral reservoir within the body, including sanctuary sites where HIV can persist despite treatment.”A couple of weeks ago, Queerty brought you news of a man who appeared cured of HIV following a stem cell transplant.
Although this has happened before, this particular individual did not receive stem calls from someone with natural immunity to HIV.
Researchers now want to know why the man—dubbed “the Geneva patient”—appears cured and what other factors may be at play. Interestingly, the individual concerned also took ruxolitinib.“These data are valuable because they show that Jak inhibitors can contribute to a long-term cure strategy for HIV, but they can also be used to slow the inflammatory process caused by other infectious diseases,” says Vincent Marconi, MD, professor of medicine and global health at Emory University School of Medicine.Marconi was involved in the trial reported above.
