AIDS HIV self-healing is observed

How the body can keep HIV at bay

05/11/2014

Time and again, research teams report alleged remedies for AIDS. But so far no effective way could be found to stop the HIV pathogen sustainably. It is true that with the help of numerous medicines, they can lead a predominantly normal life for years and often even for decades, the viral infection remains. A small sensation is when researchers report on two male patients whose „Body can hold the HI virus in an unexplained way in check“.

The research team around the French scientist Didier Raoult from the Institute for Infectious and Tropical Diseases (Urmite) in Marseille believes that the two infected men through the „Integration of the modified, inactive virus gene code into their DNA“ did not suffer from the immune disease. This may also open up a new therapeutic approach. In the trade magazine „Clinical Microbiology and Infection“ put the „Researchers come up with new findings that, in their opinion, could actually lead to a cure“.

Two men not suffering from HIV infection
According to the researchers, the two patients had been infected with HIV for years, but although they never received any treatment, the disease did not break out. According to the news agency „AFP“ Although the infection could be detected in the blood of patients with conventional tests, the men still developed no AIDS. Her body had found a way to stem the virus without support. By incorporating the modified, inactive gene code of HI viruses into their own DNA, the pathogen could not be duplicated, but it was „received inside the patient's DNA“ remained. The study director Didier Raoult is quoted in the article with the statement that „This observation is a conceivable approach to a cure“ be.

Special enzyme prevents duplication of viruses
According to the researchers, "Aids pathogens have been eliminated by disrupting information from their genes." This was "presumably due to the enzyme Apobec, whose effect against HIV is already being explored in other studies". So far, however, without further success, since the enzyme „normally inactivated by a protein of the HI virus“. Obviously this was not the case for the two infected men. Here, the study authors also see new opportunities for a cure by the use or targeted stimulation of this enzyme. In addition, the findings were reason enough to reconsider the previous treatment approaches and the research of new therapies. For so far, these are exclusively geared to rid the body of the HIV virus, reports Didier Raoult.

The current study was based on the assumption that HI viruses behave in a similar way to other retroviruses that bind to the DNA of animals and humans“. For example, koala bears have been found to be resistant to virus after they have neutralized it and integrated it into their DNA. The resistance is also inherited to the offspring. For example, it was suspected that similar resistance could occur in HI viruses. (Fp)