January 28, 2013 | Health Matters

Successfully creating HIV-resistent T-cells

Scientists at Stanford University have announced they were successful genetically engineering cells that are resistant to HIV. The discovery could lead to new therapies for treating individuals with the disease.

The procedure uses molecular 'scissors' to cut into T-cells. A series of HIV-resistant genes are then inserted into the cell, and the virus is effectively blocked from entering.

However, this should not be seen as a potential cure.

"Providing an infected person with resistant T-cells would not cure their viral infection," assistant professor Sara Sawyer, PhD, warned. "However, it would provide them with a protected set of T-cells that would ward off the immune collapse that typically gives rise to AIDS."

More research on the process is still needed; Cells can potentially rupture, which may result in cancer, and some cells may reject the inserted genes.

Still, it does feel like we're so much closer to kicking HIV in the ass!

Immune cells engineered in lab to resist HIV infection, Stanford study shows [Stanford press release]