HIV and AIDS

A 53-year-old from Düsseldorf in Germany has followed the "Berlin" and "London" patients, becoming the third person in the world to be completely cured of HIV following a stem cell transplant using donor cells with a particular genetic mutation.

In a blow to researchers across the world, the only HIV vaccine currently in Phase 3 human trials has been deemed a failure. The experimental vaccine's failure turns the current research focus onto several other candidates only in early-stage human trials.

A 66-year-old man has become the fourth patient, and the oldest to date, to be effectively cured of a HIV infection after undergoing a stem cell transplant from a donor with a rare genetic mutation that has been linked to HIV resistance.

Scientists at University of California, Los Angeles have uncovered a key mechanism behind the retention of memories, and shown how targeting it with an existing drug used to treat HIV could strengthen human memory during middle age.

Moderna has kicked off a Phase 1 human trial testing three different mRNA vaccine formulations designed to induce immunity against HIV. The trial is the second launched by Moderna this year to test mRNA vaccines for HIV.

Researchers have discovered a novel highly virulent strain of HIV in the Netherlands. The evolution of the variant, which originally emerged over two decades ago, demonstrates how viruses don’t necessarily evolve to become less severe.

HIV is hard to kill as it hides out in cellular reservoirs, but a growing body of work shows that a cure might be possible. In a new study, improvements to a previous “kick and kill” technique completely cleared HIV in 40 percent of treated mice.

New research is showing promising preclinical signs for an experimental mRNA vaccine targeting HIV. The vaccine was found to generate robust responses in mice and primates but still needs more optimization before moving to preliminary human trials.

HIV can currently be managed with a lifelong daily drug regimen, but unfortunately the infection can’t be eliminated entirely. Now researchers may have found a way to trip a cellular “alarm” to alert the immune system to clear out infected cells.

HIV is an insidious virus, hibernating inside cells ready to re-emerge if treatment is stopped. Now a team of researchers has found a way to shrink that viral reservoir by adapting a cancer immunotherapy technique to supercharge immune cells in mice.

A trial testing a drug designed to prevent HIV infection has been cut short due to a combination of positive early data and disruptions caused by COVID-19. The analysis found a single injection every eight weeks offers protection from HIV infection.

In lab tests, researchers have identified a cellular “switch” that could be turned off to clear out HIV lying dormant inside cells.