A Nobel Laureate, Prof. Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, has said there are ongoing efforts to develop a universal cure for HIV and cancer.
The co-discoverer of the HIV said this in Paris while conducting some select journalists on a tour of the sophisticated laboratories at Institut Pasteur.
She also stated that the HIV Cure and Cancer Forum would on Saturday be inaugurated at the Institut Curie in Paris, NAN reports.
“Efforts are now underway to determine if these cancer therapies can be used to build up the immune system of patients with HIV.
“This will be in such a way that HIV patients can achieve a durable and perhaps life-long treatment–free state of remission,’’ she said.
The former IAS President said that many of the key immune pathways now being therapeutically manipulated to cure cancer were first discovered in studies of chronic viral infections, particularly HIV.
“We know that controlling HIV in the absence of therapy will require the generation and maintenance of powerful CD8+ or Killer-T cells that can target vulnerable parts of the virus.
“The challenge is remarkably similar to that in oncology where the goal of innovative therapies is to generate Killer T cells that recognise and clear cancer cells.
“Timothy Brown is the only person cured of HIV, and this was due to the work of a highly resourceful team of Oncologists.
“His case illustrates that we need to do more to incentivize scientists to work across diseases and to ensure that research funding allows these synergies,’’ she said.
The Emeritus Director of Research at Inserm expressed optimism that synergy would continue to strengthen the sciences and research.
Omoleye Omoruyi… an apprentice web/game developer, novelist, sensitive to happenings in the world. Meet him @Lord_rickie on Twitter/Instagram
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