Found a way to detect HIV-infected T cells that are 'dormant', opening up hope for root

Currently, AIDS patients must live the rest of their lives with ARV drugs - antiretroviral drugs because we have not yet eliminated all the HIV viruses lurking in the immune system. Recently, French scientists have discovered a biological sign that allows the recognition of HIV-infected T cells in a state of "hibernation" that is among healthy cells that open up hope for cure. Century disease, AIDS.

Found a way to detect HIV-infected T cells that are 'dormant', opening up hope for root Picture 1

When patients are treated with antiretroviral therapy, a small amount of viral cells persist in more than a million healthy T-cells. If the drug is stopped, the virus will increase rapidly and the patient will never be cured.

A team of researchers from Montpellier University discovered a protein called CD32a, which is not found in healthy cells. When the CD32a protein-containing cells were successfully removed from the blood samples of 12 HIV patients treated with ARV therapy and tested, they found that all were infected with HIV.

The team found that almost all T cells found to contain CD32a protein are infected with the "hibernating" HIV virus. This suggests that antiretroviral therapy can only kill T-cells that carry active HIV, but cannot eradicate HIV. This is also the reason why HIV disease cannot be completely cured.

After many failed experiments since 1996, the researchers could identify the latent virus-infected cells of this group, opening new hopes in therapies for finding, separating and destroying cells containing active viruses. When used in combination with antiretroviral drugs from which to cure the root of the disease.

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