‘Promising results’ for Durban trial to find HIV cure
The results of a groundbreaking trial carried out in Durban to find a cure for HIV are showing promise, scientists say.
The research is the first HIV cure clinical trial to be conducted on the African continent.
It is led by the HIV Pathogenesis Programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Twenty women were enrolled to test an HIV treatment called combination immunotherapy.
It aimed to reduce hidden traces of HIV in the body and boost the immune system to keep the virus in check without the need for lifelong medication.
"We first give the antiretroviral therapy, and then we give the immune booster, and then we interrupt the antiretroviral therapy,” lead researcher of the trial, Thumbi Ndung'u, explained.
“We continue to give the immune booster for a short while and then we stop giving both the immune booster as well as the antiretroviral therapy.
"This can only be done under very strict clinical observation.
"In some people, the virus will rebound, and that's what we saw. But in 20% of individuals, we saw that they could actually control the virus without antiretroviral therapy. So that is very good."
Ndung'u said that even after the trial, the four participants whose results were successful continued without medication for an average of 1.5 years.
"So, what we are doing is a laboratory experiment at the moment to try and understand why it worked in those 20% of individuals. And if we can figure that out, that would help us to develop new strategies for the future."
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