Comment:controlling HIV infection through gene therapy. Dr Ben Neuman says it's a positive step towards a cure but larger studies are needed to assess long-term risks
Release Date 06 March 2014
Dr Ben Neuman, a virologist from the University of Reading who has published work on retroviruses, said of the US study:
"Editing genes can be risky business, but by performing gene therapy outside the body researchers may be able to shield patients from potential side effects such as leukaemia. This is an overwhelmingly positive step towards a real cure for HIV, but larger studies will be needed to assess the long-term risks and rewards of this type of gene editing.
"This strategy should be effective against the most common types of HIV. However, some rarely-encountered strains may not be affected, so it remains critically important to prevent exposure to the virus in the first place."