Dr Kalpana Surendranath, Senior Lecturer in Molecular Biology and Microbiology, has written an article for The Conversation exploring how gene editing technology, CRISPR, could be the key to curing HIV.
The article highlights how far HIV treatments have come on since the virus was first identified in 1983. However, while treatments such as antiretroviral drugs help people live with HIV every day, there is still no cure.
Dr Surendranath explores a potential treatment called EBT-101, created by biotech company Excision BioTheraperutics, that uses the gene-editing technology CRISPR to try eradicate the virus. The company has recently reported positive results regarding its safety, as it was found to not cause severe side-effects in all three of the patients who were given the experimental drug.
CRISPR works by identifying the HIV virus and cutting away large sections of its DNA, disabling it and stopping it from replicating.
About the treatment Dr Surendranath said: “Crispr is an idea copied from our microscopic ancestors, the bacterial cells. This versatile tool against viruses, efficiently used by bacteria for millions of years to defend themselves, is now ready to protect humans from viral threats.
“Crispr is like a miniature robot that can be directed to desired locations on genetic material within a living cell or outside. It can be used for curing diseases, developing new types of crops, and keeping an eye on how infectious diseases spread.”
Looking forward to the next steps she adds: “While the safety results of EBT-101 are encouraging, there is still a lot of work to do. Testing on larger groups of people and making the therapy affordable for everyone with HIV are crucial because the disease is more prevalent in poorer countries.
“Still, the accomplishment of Excision BioTherapeutics is starting to give hope that a cure for Aids may be on the horizon.”
Read the full article on The Conversation website.
Related articles
