HIV Breakthrough at Temple University

Instead of suppressing and treating the viral loads in HIV positive individuals, researchers at Temple University may have found a way to destroy the virus.

This is done through genetic surgery — that’s right, operations done on DNA have been found to destroy the AIDS virus.

This is the first time scientists successfully eradicated the virus from human cells, using special molecular tools that have been invented that hunt down HIV within cells.

“Basically converting infected cells to un-infected cells and that is very important because the current therapy can not eliminate the virus from cells,” said Dr. Khalili, leader of the research team. “We have a cure for HIV elimination.  We have a system to eliminate HIV from the cells in the laboratory.”

The next step of the process will be moving on to animal trials, laying the groundwork for clinical trials on humans.