Last Thursday, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation identified a new drug that helps to clear the body of HIV. Scientists propose that the drug, called 5HN, could be used in treatment regimens to eradicate infection.

Throughout the normal course of HIV infection, some T cells (type of white blood cell) harbor dormant or nonreplicating HIV. Anti-HIV drugs are unable to target and kill these cells, which act as a reservoir of protected HIV.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute targeted this population of T cells. Using a model system in the laboratory to replicate them, they found that treatment with 5HN caused the cells to release their HIV.

While heralded by some as a potential cure for AIDS, this study has limitations. 5HN has not been studied in humans and may be too toxic for use. Other sources of dormant HIV are known to exist. 5HN treatment may not wipe out the body’s entire store of HIV.

The study does introduce a new way of examining strategies to eradicate HIV infection, as professor Stephen Kent at the University of Melbourne points out in an interview with Simeon Bennett of Bloomberg. He said, “Having a system for screening drugs is a big advance over what we’ve had so far.”

For more information, please read the study available on the Journal of Clinical Investigation Web site.