A molecule that is currently being used to treat cancerous soft-tissue sarcomas may be the key for developing a cure for HIV.
This molecule, known as EBC-46, works by temporarily activating the HIV virus in the affected cells as they hide so that the body’s immune system can remove the virus, according to a study published recently in Science Advances.
“It’s pretty amazing,” says Paul Wender, a chemist at Stanford University. “In this new agent, we were seeing things that get up to 90 percent reactivation.”
HIV is a virus that can eventually lead to the deadly condition AIDS. The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 40 million people around the world are infected with HIV.
Treatments known as antiretrovirals exist and they stop the HIV virus from replicating, turning it into a manageable condition rather than a life-threatening disease. But these drugs are often expensive, and those with HIV ...
