Study using stem cell therapy shows promise in fight against HIV
UC Davis Health System researchers are a step closer to
launching human clinical trials involving the use of an
innovative stem cell therapy to fight the virus that causes
AIDS. In a paper published in the May issue of the Journal of
Virology, the UC Davis HIV team demonstrated both the safety and
efficacy of transplanting anti-HIV stem cells into mice that
represent models of infected patients. The technique, which
involves replacing the immune system with stem cells engineered
with a triple combination of HIV-resistant genes, proved capable
of replicating a normally functioning human immune system by
protecting and expanding HIV-resistant immune cells. The cells
thrived and self-renewed even when challenged with an HIV viral
load. "We envision this as a potential functional cure for
patients infected with HIV, giving them the ability to maintain
a normal immune system through genetic resistance," said lead
author Joseph Anderson, an assistant