Hebrew U. researchers develop treatment to kill HIV cells
New therapy is superior to current treatments, which only delay the development of the disease and make AIDS more manageable.
By Dan EvenA team of researchers from the Hebrew University has developed a treatment that completely destroys HIV-infected human cells in laboratory cultures, according to an article published last month in the scientific journal AIDS Research and Therapy.
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A health worker taking a blood sample for an HIV test in San Salvador on June 25, 2010. |
| Photo by: AP |
The therapy, developed by scientists from the university's Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences and the Institute of Chemistry, destroys cells infected with HIV without damaging adjacent healthy cells.
There has so far been no therapy that completely destroys HIV-infected cells.
Current treatments involve inhibiting the replication of the virus, which delays the development of AIDS, making AIDS a chronic, yet managed disease. But if treatment with the so-called AIDS "cocktail" is halted or the virus develops immunity to the cocktail, it can begin infecting other cells again.
The new treatment is based on the fact that when the virus infects a cell, its DNA penetrates the cell, which then manufactures new HIV viruses that infect neighboring cells.
"In the usual process the HIV virus injects a maximum of two replications of its genetic material into healthy cells," said Dr. Abraham Loyter, of the life sciences institute. Loyter, who carried out the research together with Prof. Assaf Friedler, Dr. Aviad Levin and Dr. Zvi Hayouka, explained that peptides, or segments of short proteins, which they developed, interfere with replication and transmit a massive number of replications of the genetic material into the infected cell, triggering the cell's self-destruction.
"The usual medications kill the virus that has entered the body during infection, and the [peptide] treatment allows cells infected with the genetic load of the virus to be killed," Loyter said.
When the treatment was applied to human cell cultures, in the laboratories of the Hebrew University campus in Givat Ram in Jerusalem, it caused the infected human cells to disappear within two weeks. The cells did not reappear in the culture for another two weeks, "so it can be concluded that they were destroyed," Loyter said.
The study examined the effectiveness of the new treatment on the HIV-1 virus, which is the predominant cause of AIDS in developing nations.
The researchers registered a patent this year on their therapy through Yissum, the Hebrew University's technology transfer body. Yissum is now seeking a commercial partner to continue developing the treatment ahead of the next phase of experimentation, on animals, and later, if its efficacy is proven, on humans.
An estimated 33.4 million people worldwide are carriers of HIV. In Israel, in 2008, 390 new cases were reported, the highest figure in a decade.
The current breakthrough joins other new therapies to fight AIDS. Last year, health authorities in Thailand reported encouraging preliminary results of a U.S.-funded study on humans of a vaccination against AIDS that reduced the chances of infection by a third.
Six weeks ago, researchers in South Africa reported the development of a vaginal gel that prevents replication of the virus and reduces the risk of HIV infection by 54 percent.
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just what is a 'HIV virus' noted in the story? Since HIV is the acronym for 'human immunodeficiency virus' is this a compound virus or a virus attacking a virus? If you can please define what is a 'human immunodeficiency virus virus' I am confused.
including Muslims. Now where are all those scientific advances from the Muslim world that will help millions? Anyone?
Don't expect the Gays to appreciate what Israel has done for them. They'll be there, marching with the anti-gay Muslims against the Jewish state.
I want to appreciate the effort of Dr Abraham Loyter, Dr Aviad Levin, Dr Zvi Hayouka and Prof. Assaf Friedler and all staff of Life Science Institute, thanks for successful research. All thanks goes to THIS GOD OF HEBREW, ''THE GOD OF MOSES, THIS GOD IS A GREAT GOD''
Israel will continue to research, invent and share knowledge with the world. Israel will persevere in the face of adversity. Hate and terror will not stop Israel from pursuing knowledge and contributing to the welfare of humanity. Well done!
Let's watch the hypocrites who already use Israeli technology (and call for boycotts) express their half-witted opinions about this.
One can wonder who created the HIV virus in the first place. Strange that the possible cure should emerge from a country reputed to work intensively on warfare germs.
Arafat died of AIDS if we had something like this before he died we could have said Arafat either you play ball or we don't give you the medication you need.
while here in the US, Israel's strongest backers, Evangelicals, block our scientific research especially regarding cloning. Israel has universal healthcare too, but its supporters tried to block that here as well. Because Israel does science and healthcare right, maybe these issues should be tied to funding for Israel in Congress, then both parties will approve it.
Rather than celebrating an achievement in fighting a human threat the comments degrade this achievement to whine about boycots and talk about being superior to everyone else. Such attitudes are why Israel gets a bad reputation. Its quite clear that those academic boycotts are against a policy unrelated to the research here. Yet people here find the need to make petty and whiny comments. There is even a comment on trying to use this achievement as a way to justify Israel not being critized about its treatment of Palestinians. The world is able to discern valuable research from bad policies. I'm pretty sure the scientists have more brains and class than the petty comments on this board.
Israel will continue to research, invent and share knowledge with the world. Israel will persevere in the face of adversity. Hate and terror will not stop Israel from pursuing knowledge and contributing to the welfare of humanity. Well done!
Muslims don't need this invention, certainly not Iranian Muslims. There are no Muslim gays, certainly not in Iran, because who wants to be gay when you can have four wives. Therefore, there are no HIV infections or AIDS in Muslim lands.
These researchers should immediately express their willingness to share their know-how and collaborate with research labs at universities in England. It'll be interesting to see the response.
An even better investment would be a global campaign against AIDS educate people. Right now in the west hetrosexual people are the ones with the largest percentage the gay community got smart and now they have the lower infection rates so something is not being done right if straights have the highest infection rate so we need to find where things are going wrong and fix it. In the third world the UN should educate and give out condoms free of charge because if the natives can get hold of the things free and they are educated then they are more likely to use them. While cures are important prevention is even more important.
It is good that Israel shows that there is other ways to fight HIV than circumcision. Which is not a satisfactory protction against HIV. But for now dont forget to use condom even if yuo are circumsied
voluntarily boycott the product in order to maintain their political protest?
This shows that while arabs run to kill jews in any part of Israel and around and while the world condems the self-defense of jews, Israel keeps on producing new-age health technologies to combat diseases to save people in the world. Israel should NOT share this vaccine nor this knowledge with those countries that don't recognize Israel and with those boycotting her (UK, Sweeden, Norway, Spain, etc....). Kol Hakavod le Israel, Kol HaKavod le Yehudim !!
I whole heartedly agree. Can't have it both ways, now can they?
Another Israeli invention to help mankind.
Yes we have harnessed our "aggression" and fight HIV with no mercy. Well done to researchers who discovered this. I doubt that the same would be discovered in the next million years at a Hamas run university.
This is the best news of the yet.it should be on world headlines & such
We are supposed to boycott Israeli products and universities ,aren't we ?
We are.........?
Would normal people please target their donations to Science Depts in Israeli universities and let the diletantes in the Artsy faculties get their donations from EU/US taxpayer funded "peace" NGO's so they can continue to spread lies and hatred about Israel at somebody elses expense.
It seems Israel is not just bringing trouble to the world.
What have you done for the world that is remotely close to Israeli science and technology?