Researchers in Australia have made a significant breakthrough in HIV research using mRNA delivery technology — the same technology that underpins COVID-19 vaccines. However, instead of preventing infection, they have focused on removing the virus from its latent state for potential treatment.
Even with successful antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV cannot be completely eliminated — it hides in dormant CD4+ T cells, creating a hidden reservoir that can reactivate when treatment is stopped. This reservoir is considered a key obstacle to eliminating the virus.
Scientists at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Melbourne) have developed a new lipid nanoparticle (LNP) carrier, inside which mRNA is placed. This LNP penetrates infected CD4+ cells and “pushes” the virus to activate, forcing it out of its latent state.
“We ‘reprogrammed’ the mRNA to instruct infected cells to ‘release’ the virus and make it visible. However, the main obstacle was delivering the mRNA to these cells,” explains Dr. Paula Sevaal, a researcher at the Doherty Institute and co-author of the study.
The scientists reported that the new LNP is a miniature “fat bubble” that successfully transports mRNA to the appropriate cells, forcing the virus to “come out of hiding.” In laboratory experiments, the method demonstrated effective removal of HIV from its latent state without activating cells and without toxic effects.
This is the first time that such a strategy has shown high efficacy in HIV-infected cells. Researchers believe that this approach could form the basis for future treatments.
The head of the Institute, Prof. Sharon Levin, who is a co-author of the publication, emphasizes that their results prove the fundamental viability and could potentially be a turning point in the search for a cure.
“In 2020, we began researching mRNA as a treatment for COVID-19. And then ideas about HIV came up, even though these viruses are very different… Over the past five years, we have created a new mRNA therapy platform, and this research is an exciting milestone,” says Levin.
HIV advocate Heather Ellis, who has been living with the infection for over 30 years, notes that every piece of news about a potential treatment is an important event. She emphasizes that the dream is to eliminate the need for daily pills and the stigma associated with HIV.
The next steps involve preclinical trials in animals, followed by clinical trials in humans. According to study co-author Dr. Michael Roche, a virologist, this technology could open up new possibilities for treating other diseases, as resting CD4+ cells play an important role in other pathologies, such as certain types of cancer or autoimmune diseases.