Researchers say a new laboratory approach may offer a step toward finally eliminating hidden HIV in the body, rather than only suppressing it with medication. Scientists at the Houston Methodist Research Institute reported that they have found a way to expose and destroy dormant HIV hiding inside immune cells — a major barrier to a cure.
HIV can remain inactive in certain cells for years, forming what is known as the viral reservoir. Current antiretroviral therapy (ART) controls the virus but cannot remove these hidden infected cells, meaning treatment must continue for life. The new method temporarily disables the cell’s natural survival processes, then reactivates the virus inside. Once the virus wakes up, the weakened cell self-destructs, taking the virus with it.
In studies using human-like mouse models, 69% of animals treated with the experimental approach did not experience viral rebound after stopping ART, while all untreated animals did. Researchers emphasized that this strategy is still in its early stages and requires further testing before human trials.
Still, the findings suggest a potential new path toward curing HIV by turning the virus’s ability to hide against itself. Experts say the work adds momentum to long-running efforts to achieve a functional cure.
