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Triple Therapy Eradicates SHIV in Primates
16 Aug
Summary
- A three-part treatment showed promise in eradicating a simian virus.
- Eight macaques showed no viral rebound after treatment stopped.
- Early intervention within 72 hours of exposure was key.
Scientists have explored a novel three-part treatment regimen in rhesus macaques to prevent a simian immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) from establishing permanent reservoirs in the body. The study, published in Nature Microbiology, involved exposing infant macaques to SHIV and then testing various treatment combinations.
The most promising results came from a group of eight macaques that received a combination of antiretroviral therapy (ART), two broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), and leronlimab. This triple therapy was initiated just 72 hours after SHIV exposure, a point at which the virus was already detectable in their blood.
Following a 27-week treatment period, the virus was suppressed, and crucially, it did not return after ART was stopped. Extended follow-up over six months, including immune system depletion tests, confirmed no viral rebound. While human trials are needed, these findings offer significant hope for potentially clearing HIV if detected and treated very early after infection.
