Infectious Disease researchers make HIV wake-up call

Infectious disease researchers have moved a step closer to finding a cure for HIV by successfully luring the “sleeping” virus out of infected cells. The researchers, led by Professor Sharon Lewin, have shown in a human trial that the cancer drug vorinostat alters how HIV genes are turned on and off and in effect wakes up “sleeping” virus that persists in patients on standard HIV treatment.
Prof Lewin, who is Head of Monash's Department of Infectious Diseases and Director of Infectious Diseases at The Alfred, said that the results from the study are very promising and showed that we can 'wake up' the virus in nearly all patients who took vorinostat. The results will now inform the design of further studies to find a way to possibly cure HIV. For more, see story link. Image: Dr. A. Harrison; Dr. P. Feorino