Researchers Investigate Potential Treatment for Eliminating HIV from the Brain
Despite decades of research and the availability of antiretroviral medications, HIV continues to pose a significant health challenge. While these medications can be used to eliminate the symptoms of HIV and prevent its spread to others, a cure has yet to be found.
One major challenge is that HIV can enter a dormant-like state, hiding in the body and evading treatments, only to reactivate later. HIV hiding in the brain is particularly difficult to access, as the blood-brain barrier—the protective membrane surrounding the brain—often prevents treatments from entering those tissues.
In a recent NIMH-funded study, researchers explored a potential solution by testing a drug called BLZ945 that targets a type of immune cell known as macrophages.
How does the treatment work?
Macrophages are a major way that HIV multiplies and spreads in the brain. HIV-infected macrophages can also persist in the brain during antiretroviral treatment, making them a source of long-lasting HIV infection. Because macrophages help spread and maintain HIV infection, targeting these cells could be a way to successfully eliminate HIV from the brain.
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