A particularly promising finding from the RIO study was that the antibodies also targeted dormant HIV hiding in some cells. These reservoirs are how the virus comes back when people stop treatment and are thought to be left unaffected by antibodies. The researchers suggest that antibody-boosted T cells can recognize and kill latently infected cells that have even trace amounts of HIV on their surface.
The FRESH intervention, meanwhile, targeted persistent HIV reservoirs directly by including another drug called vesatolimod. It is designed to stimulate immune cells to respond to the threat of HIV and hopefully push dormant HIV particles out of hiding. Once this happens, the immune system, with the help of antibodies, can recognize and destroy them.
The FRESH results are exciting, says Ndung'u, “because they may indicate that this regimen worked to some extent. Because this was a small study, it is obviously difficult to draw very strong conclusions.” His team is still examining the data.
Once he receives funding, Ndung'u intends to conduct a larger study in South Africa involving chronically infected people. Meanwhile, Fidler's team is recruiting new employees. third hand RIO to try to determine whether a longer pause of antiretroviral treatment before antibody administration produces a stronger immune response.
A related study conducted in the UK, entitled AbVaxwill add a T-cell stimulating drug to the mix to see if it enhances the long-term vaccine-like effect of the antibodies. “Perhaps combining different approaches enhances different parts of the immune system is the way forward,” says Fiedler, co-principal investigator of the study.
For now, Fiedler and Ndung'u will continue to track virally suppressed participants who are living free of the need for daily treatment for the first time since their HIV diagnosis.
This story originally appeared on Famous magazine.
