Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine have announced a major breakthrough in the fight against HIV, revealing that a gene therapy technique can effectively switch off the virus inside infected cells. This advancement brings researchers significantly closer to a long-term, drug-free method for controlling the virus.
In a study published in Science Advances, the research team focused on a naturally occurring molecule within the HIV genome known as an antisense transcript (AST). This molecule acts as a genetic off-switch, limiting the virus’s ability to replicate. By genetically engineering HIV-infected immune cells to overproduce AST, researchers were able to suppress viral activity, keeping the virus in a dormant state.
Tests conducted on immune cells taken from individuals living with HIV showed that the modified cells did not produce active virus for at least four days—the duration of the study. This suggests that the virus can be kept silent without destroying it, potentially eliminating the need for daily antiretroviral therapy.
Although the therapy has not yet been tested in humans, the findings mark a significant step toward a functional cure. Researchers emphasize that further work is needed to develop safe and effective delivery methods and to determine how long the virus can remain suppressed in the body.
The study builds on years of research into how HIV hides in the body and resists eradication. By using the virus’s own genetic features against it, the team has introduced a promising strategy that may lead to one-time treatments capable of providing lifelong viral control.