State of HIV Cure Research as 2022 Comes to an End

[contagion]

https://www.thebody.com/article/state-hiv-cure-research-end-of-2022

Murphy: So reiterate for us what you’re looking forward to in 2023.

Jefferys: I think we’ll start to see some of the results of gene therapy trials that could be important. A company called Excision BioTherapeutics, in collaboration with Temple University in Philadelphia, did its first human dose in July of an intervention using a CRISPR gene-editing tool, which surgically removes the HIV genetic code from remaining infected cells in the body. It sounds great, but there are concerns about whether the wrong genes might get edited, because we don’t have a way of targeting those editing tools to just infected cells. Right now, they’re just sending the tool into the body and hoping it ends up in the right cells.

The other potentially interesting gene therapy trial is by American Gene Technologies in Baltimore. They’re trying to do gene modification of HIV-specific CD4 cells—extract them, modify them to be HIV-resistant, and put them back into bodies. Based on research they just published, some have responded well so far, but it’s very variable. Now they’re enrolling people in a follow-up study with a structured treatment interruption. Results should be available next year.

[leatherman]

Right now, they’re just sending the tool into the body and hoping it ends up in the right cells.

well, that doesn't sound terrifying at all. 

crazy real estate guy

either "liar", "grifter", "reality TV star", or "traitor" would have been a more appropriate moniker

I liked how Jefferys explained why reaching a cure has been so difficult.