Dr. Steven Deeks at UCSF reports CAR T-cell HIV suppression
A new study hints that CAR T-cell therapy could change the game for HIV.
Led by Dr. Steven Deeks at UCSF, researchers found two people who kept HIV under control for up to two years, without daily meds.
It's an early sign that a "one-and-done" treatment might actually be possible.
CAR T responses in early participants
CAR T-cell therapy uses specially modified immune cells to hunt down HIV, and this trial tested an advanced version designed to resist the virus too.
Out of nine participants who paused their usual meds, two had HIV strongly suppressed for nearly a year and nearly two years, and one had a short-term response (all three started HIV treatment early after infection, which seems important for success).
The findings were shared at a big gene therapy conference in Boston, but more research is needed before this approach can go mainstream.