Human bodies are naturally suppressing HIV in part of the Congo, according to a new scientific discovery. Scientists have recently discovered a population in the Democratic Republic of Congo whose bodies are naturally suppressing HIV – without taking any medication. This has given renewed hopes that this may lead to an eventual cure in the not-too-distant future.
The findings, published in eBioMedicine, which is part of The Lancet family of medical and scientific journals, looked at samples taken from people living with HIV between 1987 and 2019.
The study found that as many as 4% of HIV carriers in the Democratic Republic of Congo are people whose bodies are naturally suppressing the HIV virus. Typically, less than 1% of HIV carriers are able to do so. This discovery holds out the possibility for spring boarding further research to develop vaccines or new treatments to tackle the virus that causes AIDS.
The team of scientists included scientists from pharmaceutical company Abbott, Université Protestante au Congo, Johns Hopkins, the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and University of Missouri – Kansas City. Dr. Mary Rodgers, head of Abbott’s global viral surveillance programme and the study’s lead scientist, told the BBC that “when we first started to see the data coming in from the study, we were surprised, but we were also elated. This could mean that this is something that we can actually cure.”
She said the DR Congo group is the biggest detected in one country – between 2.7% and 4.3% whose bodies are naturally suppressing HIV. Another 1% of Cameroon’s virus carriers were also identified as among those whose bodies are naturally suppressing HIV as well.
This means that these people are surviving naturally without medication. “This has never really been seen before,” Dr. Rodgers continued. “Typically, we would find less than 1% of all people with HIV who are able to suppress the virus naturally.”
Currently, most people living with HIV have to take anti-retroviral medicines daily to suppress the virus and reduce their viral load. Scientists do not yet know how these so-called “elite controllers'” bodies are able to naturally suppress HIV – how their bodies are able to dominate their infection to the point of otherwise living healthy lives. And this is precisely the challenge. Dr. Rodgers says that understanding how these bodies are able to suppress the HIV virus and maintain low or undetectable viral loads will be crucial to controlling the virus.
External Source: BBC
