New Delhi– A new study from Johns Hopkins University suggests that gene therapy may offer a long-lasting, potentially permanent treatment for HIV by forcing the virus into a dormant state, effectively stopping its replication without the need for daily medication.
Researchers have discovered that a molecule produced within the HIV genome, known as an antisense transcript (AST), can be manipulated to keep the virus in a state of long-term latency—essentially “putting HIV to sleep.”
“This adds to a growing body of evidence that gene therapy can be a powerful tool in our fight against HIV,” said Dr. Fabio Romerio, Associate Professor of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
The findings, published in Science Advances, represent a significant step toward developing a one-time treatment that could eliminate the need for lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART). Currently, standard HIV treatment requires daily ART, which suppresses the virus but doesn’t eradicate it. If treatment stops, the virus can quickly rebound, as it remains hidden in cells throughout the body.
“Our aim is to find a way to provide a lasting, durable treatment for HIV,” said Rui Li, the study’s lead author and a postdoctoral fellow in Romerio’s lab.
To study AST’s impact, scientists genetically modified human CD4+ T cells—the very cells HIV infects—so they would overproduce AST. The modified cells were then infected with HIV. The researchers found that the virus remained dormant in these cells for four days before the AST-related DNA began to degrade.
The team also examined CD4+ T cells collected from 15 people living with HIV and found similar results: the virus stayed in a dormant state when AST expression was high.
According to the World Health Organization, nearly 40 million people worldwide live with HIV, and the virus causes about 630,000 deaths each year. Current treatments, while effective, must be maintained for life and may have long-term side effects.
Romerio noted that gene therapy to boost AST levels could one day offer a single-dose alternative to daily medications by keeping the virus inactive for extended periods—or even permanently.
While more research is needed to extend the duration of viral dormancy and develop a viable clinical treatment, the study offers new hope for a future where HIV can be controlled or cured with minimal intervention. (Source: IANS)
