Recent advancements in medicine are opening new prospects for HIV treatment. The journal Nature reports that researchers have achieved prolonged remission in patients with this diagnosis without the need for continuous antiretroviral medication.
Since the advent of antiretroviral therapy in the late 1980s, it has saved millions of lives, transforming HIV from a deadly disease into a manageable condition. However, this therapy is not an ideal solution: even among those who have been using the medications for a long time, the virus can reactivate soon after treatment is stopped.
In search of alternatives, two international research groups conducted experiments aimed at studying the action of antibodies in combination with powerful cellular immune responses, which may allow for the control of HIV without the use of antiretroviral drugs.
Studies have shown that combining two types of immune responses – broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) and specific CD8 T-cells with stem cell properties – enables the body to suppress the virus on its own even after therapy has ended.
In the first of the conducted studies, it was found that some patients receiving bNAbs and temporarily stopping therapy had a reserve of high-quality CD8 cells capable of recognizing and destroying infected cells.
In the second study, scientists used a combined immune therapy with a drug that activates innate immunity, in conjunction with bNAbs. This allowed for control over the virus in 7 out of 10 cases for several months, and in one patient, for one and a half years.
It is important to note that bNAbs do not work alone. They create a "window" of reduced viral activity, allowing CD8 cells to activate and develop a full response. These cells are capable of rapid proliferation and acquiring cytotoxic properties, which is key to achieving prolonged remission after stopping antiretroviral therapy.
Although the studies conducted have not yet reached a large scale and require additional clinical trials to confirm their effectiveness and safety, scientists are confident that the future of HIV control lies in the combination of antibodies, vaccines, and the enhancement of antiviral T-cells. It is possible that new strategies for combating the virus will be developed based on this foundation.
