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A group of researchers at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, Australia have discovered a way to tackle a longstanding challenge that has eluded researchers trying to develop a cure for HIV for decades. HIV can hide in certain white blood cells, creating a reservoir in the body that can later reactivate and evade targeting by the immune system and drugs. The researchers found a way to make the virus visible using mRNA technology, an achievement previously thought impossible and a step closer toward being able to fully clear it from the body. Further research is needed to determine whether revealing the virus is enough to make it vulnerable to the immune system or whether the technology will need to be combined with other therapies, suggesting this technology is still years away from reaching humans.
Recently published research examining an understudied group of coronaviruses called merbecoviruses (the same group that includes MERS) found that while most merbecoviruses are unlikely to pose a direct threat to humans, one subgroup is only one small mutation away from being able to spill over into human populations and cause a major outbreak. This subgroup of viruses, called HKU5, has been found across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, but its natural host is in Asia: the Japanese house bat. Previous research has already found one HKU5 virus that has been documented to jump across animal species. This study and its methods, specifically the use of artificial intelligence, could be used to improve further research and support the development of new vaccines and treatments.
A group of scientists in Burkina Faso have successfully completed the first phase of a clinical trial testing the PfSPZ-LARC2 vaccine for Plasmodium falciparum malaria in youths between 6 and 19 years old. The vaccine, which was previously found to be safe and effective in adults, is unique and innovative because it uses genetically engineered parasites that cannot cause disease but are potent enough to generate immunity. In fact, the vaccine has demonstrated an ability to achieve higher efficacy at a lower dose and for a longer duration than existing vaccines for malaria. If proven effective in further trials, it could represent a significant game changer in malaria control efforts, reducing the burden on health care systems and increasing convenience for people in malaria-endemic countries, as well as travelers and military personnel.