By Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter <\/p>\n
WEDNESDAY, March 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- In an early step toward drug-free HIV therapy, researchers are reporting the first success in genetically \"editing\" T-cells in patients' immune systems to become resistant to the virus. <\/p>\n
The findings, published in the March 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, are based on only 12 patients. But experts were cautiously optimistic about what the study accomplished. <\/p>\n
Specifically, researchers were able to take T-cells from the HIV patients' blood, then \"knock out\" a gene known as CCR5, which controls a protein that allows HIV to enter a cell. <\/p>\n
The scientists then infused the genetically altered T-cells back into patients' blood, where they expanded in number. What's more, a few patients were taken off their HIV drugs temporarily and saw their virus levels decrease. <\/p>\n
\"This is impressive,\" said Rowena Johnston, director of research for amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. <\/p>\n
The altered T-cells \"actually seem to be doing exactly what [the researchers] wanted them to,\" said Johnston, who was not involved in the study. <\/p>\n
Still, she said, there are plenty of questions left and much research ahead. The investigators on the study agreed. <\/p>\n
\"This was a first-in-human study,\" said researcher Bruce Levine, an associate professor of cancer gene therapy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, in Philadelphia. <\/p>\n
That means the trial was designed to see whether it's even safe to use this approach in people with HIV -- and not whether it's an effective therapy. <\/p>\n
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Read more here: <\/p>\n
Gene Therapy for Controlling HIV Shows Early Promise<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, March 5, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- In an early step toward drug-free HIV therapy, researchers are reporting the first success in genetically \"editing\" T-cells in patients' immune systems to become resistant to the virus. The findings, published in the March 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, are based on only 12 patients. But experts were cautiously optimistic about what the study accomplished. Continue reading