Scientists from Aarhus are using an anti-cancer drug to detect HIV by making it visible to the immune system. A new study has shown that this method can also be used to destroy cells affected by the virus.

Although modern doctors have learned to keep HIV under control, there is still no medicine that can completely eliminate HIV from the body.

The fact is that HIV is designed in such a cunning way that it can hide in the body’s own cells, thereby becoming “invisible” to the immune system.

Researchers at Aarhus University Hospital, however, have made significant progress in trying to remove HIV's cloak of invisibility and bring it into the light. In their new study, scientists used an anti-cancer drug to make HIV visible, and thereby ensured that the body's own immune defenses destroyed almost 40% of HIV-infected cells.

“We were hoping that we could get rid of some of the HIV-infected cells. But we didn’t expect that we would be lucky enough to destroy such a large part of them as it turned out to be,” says Steffen Leth, a doctoral student in the department of infectious diseases at Aarhus University Hospital.
He is one of the scientists behind the study, which was published in the award-winning scientific journal The Lancet.

The achievement attracted international attention

The Aarhus group's pursuit of a cure for HIV has already caused a stir in the international media, especially in the scientific community working on the virus. When the Aarhusians presented preliminary results of their research at an AIDS conference in Australia back in 2014, “a loud sigh went through the room,” as the foreign press wrote.

At that time, the Aarhus team was able to test the anti-cancer drug romidepsin on only six patients with HIV, but the experiment showed that the drug could be used to identify infected cells.

“In the first study, we learned that we could activate HIV, which had previously been dormant and hidden in the body's cells, to the point where we could measure virus particles in the blood using conventional measurement methods. So this was not new for us,” says Steffen Leth.

Now scientists can destroy HIV cells
In a new study, scientists tested romidespin on a larger number of patients infected with HIV - a total of 20 people took part in the experiment. The new results also confirmed that romidespin is able to activate latent HIV and "bring it into the light" so that the viruses can be measured in a patient's bloodstream.

But the new results don't stop there. Because this time scientists went further and were able to push the body's own immune system to destroy a decent portion of cells infected with HIV.

“We are still very far from creating the actual medicine that could completely rid the body of HIV. But this is our main goal, we will continue to work further and try to improve our method,” says senior researcher Ole Schmeltz Søgaard, who is the main driving force of the Aarhus HIV Project.

Context

“In Russia, people would rather die than admit that they live with HIV”

SwissInfo 04.12.2016

HIV epidemic in Russia

Der Spiegel 02.12.2016

The HIV situation may follow the African scenario

Russian service of the Voice of America 11/12/2016
University of Copenhagen professor Jens Lundgren also emphasizes that there is still a “long, long, long way to go” until a real cure for HIV is created. But at the moment, Aarhus scientists have already stepped into it, says Jens Lundgren.

“In their work to find a cure for HIV, Aarhus scientists have really come a long way. They have succeeded in creating a research platform in Skejby (a suburb of Aarhus) that will allow further research of this type and experiments that have been difficult to achieve in other countries. Therefore, Aarhus is now at the forefront of this field, and this is recognized throughout the world,” says Jens Lundgren, who is himself a prominent scientist in the field of HIV research, but is not involved in this project.

How does an anti-cancer drug work?

Experiments by Aarhus scientists have shown that the anti-cancer drug romidepsin can activate HIV, which is usually hidden in the genome of the body's cells. When the outbreak is activated, the virus is released into the bloodstream and, according to scientists, leaves a trail on the outside of infected cells.

This means that it is suddenly possible to distinguish between healthy and HIV-infected cells, and therefore immune killer cells can theoretically track down and destroy infected cells.

But in the first study of the effects of romidepsin, scientists were unable to recognize a single sign that the body's immune defense was actually able to destroy infected cells. And although cells infected with HIV became visible, there were no fewer of them.

“We hypothesized that immunity simply was not enough to destroy cells with HIV. Then we started thinking about how we could give him a helping hand,” says Ole Smeltz Sugor from Aarhus University Hospital.

Vaccine boosts immunity

In the new study, scientists gave patients a vaccine that, in a nutshell, aimed to prepare the body's immune system for the task of destroying infected cells.

This vaccine was previously developed by a small Norwegian pharmaceutical company, which agreed to allow Aarhus scientists to try their drug.

“We gave HIV patients the vaccine in six doses, boosting the immune system so it could find and destroy cells with HIV. Thus, our experiment is a combination of two means: on the one hand we stimulate the immune system, and on the other we use romidepsin to make it possible to detect cells infected with HIV,” says Steffen Leth. He adds: “This is the first combination study to look at the total number of HIV-infected cells in the body. We saw that the number of infected cells in the body decreased by almost 40%."

Criticism for lack of control group

Professor Jens Lundgren thinks the new scientific work is very interesting and well done, but he doesn't just applaud the successes.

“If you show a little skepticism, you might wonder why there was no control group in the experiment (a group of people who did not take the drug. Ed.). With a control group, it would be possible to see exactly which changes are due to treatment and which are due to chance. This is a common technique used in these types of studies,” says Jens Lundgren. He adds: “What's even more important is that they achieved a 40% reduction in the number of infected cells. But how many percent must actually be eliminated to cure HIV? We know that even very small amounts of HIV can grow and spread again throughout the body.

So if we want to find a cure, we must find the ability to find and destroy all the cells with HIV, in every corner of the body. And this, it seems to me, is truly difficult. But this is not the same as impossible. In any case, they have taken a big step in the right direction.”

When will we have a cure for HIV?

Scientists in Aarhus themselves emphasize that they are only at the beginning of the journey, and this path is not fast and there is no confidence that their research will be a breakthrough.
Well, if everything goes as scientists want and hope, when can we expect a cure for HIV?

“This is a very good question that I am often asked, but I simply cannot give a specific answer to it. The forecast involves many unknowns. But if we talk about any expectations, few people expect that this will happen in the next five years,” says Ole Smeltz Sugor.

The Aarhus scientists are currently working on a new experiment in which they are concentrating on finding a better way to kill HIV-infected cells. They have just received an international grant of DKK 19.2 million from the international division of the pharmaceutical company Gilead Sciences to continue the search for a cure for HIV.

InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.

Clinical trials of innovative HIV therapy have yielded promising results: the first patient was cured of the infection. World media headlines are shouting about an imminent victory over the disease. But is it? Let's figure out what the new treatment is and whether it can be considered a panacea.

Six years ago, leading UK research centers united to find an effective cure for HIV. The best specialists from Oxford and Cambridge Universities, as well as Imperial, University and King's Colleges of London received a joint grant and began work.

What did the British achieve?

HIV can be controlled with highly active ART (HAART). It stops the virus from reproducing in the body, reduces the viral load and allows the immune system to recover. But HAART alone cannot cure HIV: most of the infected T-lymphocytes (immune system cells) are dormant. They are the invisible reservoir of HIV infection, preventing it from being completely eliminated from the body. If HAART is stopped, HIV usually comes back.

A new drug developed by British scientists can track and destroy the virus even in dormant T cells.

The experimental therapy study involved a group of 50 HIV-positive participants. The scientists activated the dormant virus in their bodies using an HDAC inhibitor, helping the immune system detect and destroy the virus.

— The first participant has now completed treatment: no traces of HIV were found in his blood. But we will only be able to talk about the safety and effectiveness of the therapy in 2018, when all 50 participants complete the study, says Sarah Fidler, an infectious disease specialist at Imperial College London. “Further work will make it possible to make a breakthrough in the next five years.”

Further work will enable breakthroughs in HIV treatment within the next five years.

It’s too early to talk about complete victory over HIV

A detailed report on the new therapy will not be published until 2018, but the results of treatment of the first participant, a 44-year-old man, allow us to hope for the best. However, it is not correct to talk about a complete cure, since in reality it may turn out to be a long-term remission. It may seem that the absence of HIV in the blood indicates a complete cure, but traditional antiretroviral therapy already reduces HIV to undetectable levels.

To understand whether a person has been cured, it is necessary to completely stop antiretroviral therapy, and this is risky for his health and life.

The British study participant is not the first person to be cured of HIV. Previously, doctors from the Berlin Medical University and the Boton Clinic achieved a similar result. Their patients got rid of the infection. Today there are more than 36 million people living with HIV in the world. According to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, in 2016, 7,612 new cases of HIV infection were registered in the country (1,365 of them were children under 14 years of age). In total, since 1987, 287,970 new cases of HIV infection have been officially registered in Ukraine. 39,887 people died from it. The regions most affected by HIV infection are Dnepropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kiev, Nikolaev and Odessa regions, as well as Kyiv.

Today, almost all HIV-infected patients can receive sufficient
from a virological point of view, treatment. The concept of “not treatable” is no longer
applies. However, despite significant progress in this area, continues
There remains a need for new drugs. This applies not only to
a small number of patients in whom drugs of new classes are ineffective, but also
in principle to all patients. At the present stage, it is believed that therapy for HIV infection
should be lifelong, which allows us to expect significant problems with
compliance and long-term toxicity. According to the assumptions made on
based on preliminary data, existing drugs
insufficient for lifelong therapy in many patients (Jansson 2013). Must
develop new drugs characterized by less pronounced
toxicity and a simpler production method. To get closer to eradication
infection that is a distant target, new drugs should be available whenever possible
more powerful than those existing today.
Unfortunately, the development of this field of medicine in recent years has been different: due to
excessive costs for drug development, as well as due to the always tight market
drugs for the treatment of HIV infection, the production line of new antiretroviral
There are even more empty drugs than before. There is practically no real innovation
possible: according to the new AMNOG law (Law on the Transformation of the Drug Market
drugs), since 2011, each new drug substance is evaluated for its
benefits, after which the amount of costs for its production is estimated, which, of course, has
crucial. Improving modern ART is quite difficult, about which
negative examples from the recent past (Vikrivirok) testify. While
There is an almost unlimited amount of drugs on the market for the treatment of hepatitis C.
new drugs, the time of “gold diggers” in the field of HIV treatment has passed. Further
provides an overview of medicines (completeness of data is not guaranteed), which according to
as of today (July 2014) have maximum prospects.

Pharmacoenhancers
Many antiretroviral drugs, including almost all PIs, as well as some
new drugs such as Vicriviroc or Elvitegravir must be
enhanced to improve the pharmacokinetics of the drug. For many years IP
ritonavir or Norvir® capsules were the only tested
opportunity for such “strengthening”. Currently, the class of pharmacoenhancers (PCEs)
was supplemented with cobicistat, which is approved for use in combination with
elvitegravir, atazanavir and darunavir.
SPI-452 is a Sequoia PCE that by itself has no effect on HIV
(Gulnik 2009). One of the first clinical studies involved 58 healthy
probands who received different doses of the study drug in combination with different
IP. Tolerability was good, concentrations of darunavir and atazanavir were significantly
least increased (37 and 13 times, respectively). The enhancement effect lasted for
for a long time. Sequioas's original plan, which called for
further study of the possibility of using SPI-452 as a separate
drug, and as part of a combination drug, apparently suffered defeat.
The website dedicated to this drug is not updated, since 2009 there is no more information about it
news. The development of the drug is a big question.
PF-03716539- This is the Pfizer FCE. Research to study the influence of this FCE
for therapy with midazolam, maraviroc and darunavir were completed in October 2009,
the results have not yet been published.
Tibotec Pharmaceuticals' TMC-558445 is currently in
phase I studies, results have not yet been presented, although the data
the studies were completed at least two years ago.

Long-acting drugs, new dosage forms, generics
Currently, some of the existing drugs are undergoing
further development. The main goals of this process are to reduce
the number of tablets taken and simplification of the dosage regimen. Further ongoing
improvement of medicines, including long-acting ones. Except
In addition, more and more generic drugs are appearing on the market. For a long time
active (LA) drugs are slow-release drugs,
which provides an extremely long-lasting effect. They could be used in HIV medicine in
as PrEP, as well as in patients with treatment adherence problems. They
potentially suitable for those patients who prefer to perform an “injection” once
per month or once every 3 months, taking tablets daily. First patient surveys
showed that most of them would not refuse such injections in order to avoid
daily medication (Williams 2013). In this case, various
techniques (Guo 2014).
Cabotegravir (GSK744) is an integrase inhibitor derived from
dolutegravir, which is designed to be administered as a “monthly injection.”
Results of pharmacokinetic studies on intramuscular administration of the drug in healthy people
subjects indicate a half-life of 21-50 days (Spreen
2013), in animal experiments, monthly administration of the drug as part of PrEP
was accompanied by a highly protective effect (Andrews 2014, Radzio 2014). On the background
injection monotherapy in HIV-infected patients managed to reduce
viral load by 2.2-2.3 Log (Spreen 2013). Apparently, this drug
the substance has a high barrier to the development of resistance, like dolutegravir. Also
The effectiveness of cabotegravir when taken orally has been established. In the study
LATTE, conducted on 243 naïve patients, compared
different doses of cabotegravir in combination with efavirenz (Margolis 2014). After
induction phase, in which both drugs were combined with 2 NRTIs,
switched to cabotegravir at a dose of 10-60 mg in combination with oral
rilpivirine or continued efavirenz. After 48 weeks frequency
reduction of the viral load to an undetectable level in the experimental group
cabotegravir+RPV was 82%, while in the standard therapy group,
receiving efavirenz + 2NRTIs, this figure was 71%. Resistance
was recorded only in isolated cases. Currently ongoing
further development of the possibility of using a combination of cabotegravir and rilpivirine
in the form of injections performed once a month or once every 2 months. In already started
The LATTE-2 study is studying the use of this combination in naive patients in
comparison with an oral therapy regimen. Tensions remain over issues
tolerability of these injections - reactions at the injection sites are described.
Rilpivirine-LA– apparently the NNRTI rilpivirine is superior to other antiretroviral drugs
medicinal substances is suitable for the creation of LA-type dosage forms, which
characterized by long-term accumulation in the blood plasma, as well as other parts and
biological fluids of the human body (Jackson 2013). In one of the studies
the creation of the required concentration of the drug was observed even 84 days after
single injection (Else 2012). After 84 days, rilpivirine was also detected in the vaginal
secret, which makes it attractive for PrEP (Jackson 2013). Apparently
monthly administration of rilpivirine in the form of intramuscular injections allows achieving plasma
concentrations similar to those observed with oral administration of the drug at a dose of 25 mg.
As stated above, a completely new
therapeutic concepts for the use of rilpivirine in combination with an integrase inhibitor
cabotegravir. There are no clinically significant drug interactions (Ford
2014).
Efavirenz-LA is developed in the form of a nanodispersion. Results of In Vivo Studies
indicate a more pronounced accumulation of the drug in the cell, which contributes to
potential reduction in toxicity (Martin 2013).
Atazanavir-LA in the form of nanodispersion in animal experiments (i.m. administration)
was characterized by maintaining higher tissue concentrations than with standard
ART, even after 2 weeks of treatment (Dash 2012, Puligijja 2013).
Combinations of generic drugs are not at all that difficult to produce, about which
The experience of African countries, India and Thailand demonstrates this. In developing countries
similar fixed combinations (FDC) are often used, among them are
name, first of all, D4T + 3TC + nevirapine, for example, Triomune (Cipla), GPO-vir (GPO),
Triviro LNS (Ranbaxy) or Nevilast (Genixpharma). In most cases it may be
their bioequivalence has been confirmed (Laurent 2004, Marier 2007). However, currently
there are several FDCs containing AZT+3TC+nevirapine, among some examples
can be called Duovir-N (Cipla) and Zidovex-LN (Ranbaxy). Of course, activities
pharmaceutical companies is based primarily on patent laws.
In developed countries, these drugs no longer play a role. However, at present, in
In situations where patents expire, generic drugs are also used.
Combination market entry AZT+3TC in 2013 (examples include
zidovudine/lamivudine HEXAL® or zidovudine/lamivudine Teva®) was just the beginning. IN
There are now generic drugs available even for older nevirapine tablets, and
There are even slightly fewer generic drugs than original ones. Coming soon
you need to be prepared for the emergence of new generics.
Raltegravir 600 mg– following the failure of the QDMRK trial, which found
that the effect of taking the drug at a dose of 1 x 800 mg is slightly weaker than when taken at a dose
2 x 400 mg, single dose raltegravir is no longer a research goal. Because the
In recent years, it has been noted that pharmaceutical companies are increasingly
continue to use the same topical drug for treatment
HIV infection, which requires taking 2 times a day, development in this matter is ongoing
really fast. A new dosage form is at the development stage,
containing 600 mg of the drug (Krishna 2013). In June 2014, a major
expensive study ONCEMRK, which involved 750 naive
patients divided in a double-blind manner into groups receiving raltegravir at a dose
1200 mg 1 time / day (also two tablets) or in a dose of 2 x 400 mg. All patients additionally
received TDF+FTC, the results are expected to be presented in the first
half year 2016.
Nelfinavir (Viracept®) 625 mg was registered in the USA in April 2003.
The use of a pharmaceutically produced form (galenic form) reduces the amount
Nelfinavir tablets taken up to 2 x 2 times a day and reduces the severity
adverse events from the gastrointestinal tract, despite the fact that this is accompanied
an increase in plasma concentration of the active substance by approximately 30%
compared with the standard galenic form of nelfinavir (Johnson 2003). In Europe
The 625 mg tablets will be temporarily unavailable.
Zerit® PRC(PRC = “extended release capsules” or XR = “extended release
release") is an encapsulated form of D4T (Baril 2002) that has been
registered in Europe in 2002, but did not enter the market because D4T "went out
from fashion." Instead, research began on an improved form of D4T with a modified
molecular structure. The medicinal substance appears to be of interest
OBP-601 Japanese company Oncolys, which is characterized by less toxicity in
vitro than the parent D4T and, in addition, must have a special profile
resistance (Weber 2008). According to some reports, BMS bought the formula
this drug and continued its further development under the name Festinavir
(BMS986001) (Haraguchi 2013).

15 Sep

Until recently, Russia did not even develop a vaccine that could stop the immunodeficiency virus. Despite the fact that its first development began several decades ago, scientists have managed to develop drugs that suppress a significant portion of infected cells, thereby slowing down the progression of the disease. However, the latest HIV drugs, developed and tested in Russia, impress even the most experienced scientists. One miracle vaccine has been tested since 2014. The drug, derived from the genome of animals, has already been tested on a group of laboratory mice and the first test group of people. Further tests are scheduled for autumn 2016. The results of how the new medicine for HIV and AIDS acts on the human body and test animals, unfortunately, are kept secret. The only thing scientists talk about is the effectiveness of the product, which justifies itself.

In Novosibirsk, which is the third most important science city in Russia, a new remedy for the immunodeficiency virus has also been developed for several years. Scientists from this city, together with colleagues from Moscow and St. Petersburg, have come up with cures for HIV based on human DNA. The new development is called DNA-4. It has already been tested on two groups of volunteers and it is planned to launch its release in the near future. By the way, HIV, a medicinal vaccine for which is only being prepared for release in 2016 (news from the Ministry of Health indicates that it will be established in 2017), is progressing in our country. The number of infected people is growing every year. That is why not only infected people, but also their loved ones sincerely hope that a cure for AIDS has been found.

According to data published by news agencies, citing the Ministry of Health, four vaccines against the immunodeficiency virus will be produced in our country by the end of 2017. A new cure for AIDS and HIV was found in 2016 thanks to the tireless work of dozens of scientists around the world. I would like to believe that further developments will lead to excellent results.

Latest news about HIV diagnosis

A very convenient principle for diagnosing AIDS was proposed at McGill University. A new oral test in just twenty minutes can show with 99% probability the presence of the immunodeficiency virus in the human body. As you know, now only a test involving blood sampling is actively used, which is not always convenient. OraQuick HIV1/2 will allow everyone to be tested at home, without fear of losing anonymity. This is especially important for countries where people living with HIV are discriminated against.

Organ transplantation for patients with HIV-AIDS 2016

Excellent news for AIDS patients came from D. Hopkins Hospital in the USA. For the first time in history, permission was received for organ transplantation from an HIV-positive person to a person who is also affected by the virus. The first liver transplant is planned to be performed there before the end of this year. Thanks to this innovation, even according to the most conservative estimates, it will be possible to save the lives of several hundred people with immunodeficiency who need organ transplants.

New on HIV from Harvard

A new experimental vaccine was invented by scientists from Harvard. It is based on rare strains of adenovirus infection. Its serotypes 26 and 35 are so rare that most people do not have acquired immunity to them. As a result, in tests conducted on 217 healthy people, it was possible to obtain a sufficient immune response.

It should also be noted that such vaccinations are well tolerated by volunteers. New HIV treatment methods, such as container vaccinations, will significantly reduce both the primary incidence and enhance the immune response of patients. All that remains is to wait for the successful completion of the series of tests.

New in the treatment of HIV infection, its prevention in Africa

Recent advances in AIDS treatment should not only cover those suffering from the infection, but also protect their potential sexual partners. This is exactly what the test of the new product is aimed at in several African countries. A special vaginal ring with dapivirine is designed to protect women from primary infection. The findings showed that the risk of infection in the control group decreased by 27%. The low cost and long shelf life of vaginal AIDS rings will make them popular with many African women in high-risk areas.

Latest news about HIV infection and AIDS 2016 from France

Most of the vaccines being developed are designed to protect against infection, but scientists from the Marseille clinic have gone further. They decided to come up with a vaccine that could help in the initial stages of infection.

A new approach to the action of the vaccine lies in changing the point of its application. While most vaccines target the virus directly, this drug binds to a virus activity protein called Tat. The product was successfully tested on 48 volunteers. The drug gives the same effect as the now generally accepted triple therapy. Thus, fewer funds will be needed to control the development of infection.

2016 HIV Miracle Treatment in Pennsylvania

Immunologists at the University of Pennsylvania in the USA claim to have found a treatment against HIV in 2016. A unique “zinc finger” technique will help edit the genome of T-helper cells and make them immune to the immunodeficiency virus. This technique is based on the recently discovered phenomenon of congenital immunity to infection in a small number of Caucasian people. They have a mutation that makes the point of application of the virus to immune cells unrecognizable.

A team of scientists led by K. Jun and P. Tebas experimented with the CCR5 protein to cause a similar mutation in other people. The volunteers' blood was subjected to gene therapy to alter the T-helper cell genome, after which it was released back into the bloodstream. The results of the data obtained are amazing. In all patients, the level of viral DNA in the blood decreased by a significant amount, and in a small number it fell to undetectable levels. One of the subjects already had some of the mutant genes by nature and, after gene editing, completely got rid of the virus in the blood after twelve weeks. Thus, we can say with caution that at least one person was cured of HIV in 2016.

Latest HIV treatment news from Germany

HIV infection has been defeated: the news received from scientists Hauber and Buchholz has given hope to many immunodeficient patients. The newest drug, Brec-1, has shown amazing results. This is the newest HIV story of 2016, which many have been eagerly awaiting! The drug can completely cut out fragments of viral DNA from affected cells.

Studies were conducted in vitro and on animals. The discoverers are in no hurry to begin testing on humans, because they are afraid to use such a powerful gene therapy without proper preparation and confidence in its safety. The fact is that Brec1’s ability to destroy the virus without a trace may result in the accidental removal of some important fragment of the immune defense, so clinical trials of the drug will begin immediately after the necessary safety checks.

Latest news 2016 about HIV from Russia

The latest news in the treatment of HIV infection and AIDS in 2016 in Russia is encouraging. The production of the new drug has already been launched at the plant of the pharmaceutical company Servier. Dolutegravir is a complex drug. It is designed to close the path of penetration of the virus into immune cells. It is planned that over the next few months more than 15% of those infected with immunodeficiency in Russia will receive it in full. And within a year, the production volumes of the drug will make it possible to cover 100% of those in need. Thus, any patient will be able to receive high-quality AIDS treatment.

Tricks and mutations of HIV infection and AIDS: latest news

The human immunodeficiency virus forced the so-called “molecular knife” to mutate again and adapt to the new realities of existence. Until recently, considered an excellent remedy (new in the treatment of AIDS and HIV infection), the CRISPR/Cas9 gene drug spurred the virus to change.

Until recently, the drug was good at breaking down the virus’s defenses against antibodies, which allowed other drugs to attack it almost unhindered. But data obtained by a joint team of scientists from Canada and China showed that the effectiveness of CRISPR/Cas9 is falling. According to one of the researchers, L. Chen, the virus could change a very insignificant part of its structure so that the “molecular knife” would no longer recognize it.

Also indicative of the high mutation potential of the infection is the case of one patient from Canada. For two years, he responsibly took an anti-AIDS drug called Truvada. The last test for the presence of a retrovirus showed a positive result for the man.

The latest information about the work of Tenofovir is also depressing. Every year the drug shows less and less activity among patients in both Europe and Africa.

Prevention defeats AIDS: news 2016

Preventive vaccinations of incredible scale are going to be carried out in the USA, South America and Africa. The experimental drug, the VRC01 antibody, will be administered to more than four thousand volunteers. In the laboratory, VRC01 prevented nearly 90% of HIV virus species from entering immune cells. Laboratory successes allow us to hope for amazing results. True, research reports will have to wait only in 2022.

Huge successes and news in the treatment of HIV infection in the world allow us to look confidently into the future. The stunning news that even a few people have been cured of immunodeficiency is reviving hope among those living with HIV and AIDS that a great discovery will happen soon. The famous case of the “Berlin patient” Timothy Brown, who was cured of AIDS as a result of a bone marrow transplant, suggests that anything is possible.

In Russia, HIV prevention news also points to gradual progress in solving such a difficult task as eradicating the human immunodeficiency virus from the entire planet. Medicine does not stand still, and its close interaction with nanophysics and genetic engineering, in the end, will not leave a single viral DNA molecule a chance.