HIV

Researchers at MIT have developed a way to 'supercharge' vaccines to the extent that just a single dose can provide strong protection from HIV. This approach could also help formulate protein-based vaccines to protect against influenza and SARS-CoV-2

Animals that produce their own light source, through an internal chemical reaction, are a true wonder of nature – and something biotechnology scientists have been working hard to replicate and adapt for human use. They've now made a huge breakthrough.

HIV has become a more manageable condition in recent years, but a full cure remains elusive. Now, scientists have found promise in permanently eliminating the virus, thanks to a drug already approved by the FDA to fight cancer.

A twice-a-year injectable drug has been shown to be 100% effective in preventing the spread of HIV, according to the first data from a clinical trial. If approved, the drug offers another preventive option and puts us a step closer to eradicating HIV.

An existing blood cancer drug has been used to eliminate dormant HIV-infected cells that can cause the infection to reactivate when suppressive antiretroviral treatment is interrupted. The drug could remove the current need for lifelong medication.

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.

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.

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.

Viruses are difficult to kill – most of the drugs and chemicals that do are also harmful to human health. But now, scientists have developed a new virucidal substance derived from sugar, making it deadly to a wide range of viruses but safe for us.