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Scientists have discovered a gene that could cure HIV
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Scientists have discovered a gene that could be the key to treating HIV infection. It could be used to treat chronic diseases such as tuberculosis and hepatitis.
The gene, called Arih2, is important to the immune system; it is switched on when an infection occurs. Knowing how it is switched on and off could help develop drugs to treat HIV, which overwhelms the immune system, and it could also help treat rheumatoid arthritis, which is characterized by autoimmune inflammation in the body.
A team of scientists from the Walter and Eliza Hall Research Institute in Australia, led by study leader Mark Pellegrini, discovered a gene in dendritic cells. These cells detect infection early on and sound the alarm if a virus enters the body.
“Arih2 is responsible for very important functions, warning the body about the onset of chronic inflammation or autoimmune disease,” says Professor Pellegrini. “If the gene’s work is disrupted for some reason, the body can be attacked by infection, simply letting dangerous pathogens that cause disease through.”
According to scientists, our immune system copes well with many types of infections, but some organisms have developed mechanisms that help them bypass our defense system and survive in the body.
"Some pathogens have evolved and managed to escape our body's barrier. When pathogens such as hepatitis, tuberculosis or HIV enter, the immune system simply switches off. This happens due to the constant stimulation of T cells, which leads to the cells simply getting tired and no longer responding. "Arih2 has a unique structure. We hope that we will be able to manipulate it and influence diseases to which the immune response is inadequate," says Dr. Pellegrini. "Arih2 is critical for human survival. We want to look at the short-term effect of turning the gene on and off."
If the cells are stimulated to work for a while, it might be possible to cure infections. According to scientists, further research will take a long time.
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