HIV cure 2017? New research suggests way to theoretically eliminate virus from body

A team of scientists at University College London has developed a way to prevent HIV from disabling macrophages, important cells in the immune system that help to destroy infections. Although the finding is still new and requires further research to better understand its implications, the team believe that protecting HIV from reproducing inside these integral immune system cells may help bring us closer to developing a cure for the virus. In the study, now published online in the journal EMBO, the UCL team describe how they were able to maintain macrophages’ natural defenses against invading viruses, including HIV. According to the research, HIV is normally unable to reproduce inside of macrophages due to a protein called SAMHD1. However, there is a moment of opportunity when macrophages temporarily switch off this protein, for reasons that are still unclear, which gives HIV a chance to reproduce inside the cells. The team found that...