A cure for HIV could be on the horizon, after scientists eliminated the virus from the cells in the laboratory, Using a gene-editing tool known as Crispr-Cas, researchers were able to target HIV DNA and remove all traces of the virus from infected cells.
Working essentially as scissors, the Nobel Prize-winning technology can cut DNA at certain points, allowing unwanted genes to be deleted or new genetic material to be introduced into cells. T.he scientists at Amsterdam University Medical Centre in the Netherlands said they have developed an efficient attack on the virus in various cells and where it may be hiding.
HIV can infect different types of cells and tissues in the body, so the researchers are looking for a way to target the virus wherever it appears.