Can’t We All Be Elite?

In the long battle against HIV, elite controllers have been held in awe. 

They’re people who are HIV positive but maintain undetectable viral loads—they keep HIV in check without meds. 

Researchers have tried and failed to engineer immune cells that would recognize and destroy HIV-infected cells. Since then, cancer scientists have successfully adapted the immune system-based strategy to destroy cancer cells.

University of Pittsburgh researchers and colleagues have now imported lessons learned from the cancer fight. Working with HIV-infected mice with “humanized” immune systems, the group was able to reduce average viral loads in 6 mice by 97.5%. 

Science