A type of immunotherapy that has shown promising results against cancer could also be used against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, suggests new research. Recently discovered potent antibodies can be used to generate a specific type of cell called chimeric antigen receptors, or CARs, that can be used to kill cells infected with HIV-1, the findings showed. CARs are artificially created immune T cells that have been engineered to produce receptors on their surface that are designed to target and kill specific cells containing viruses or tumour proteins. Chimeric receptors are the focus of ongoing research into how gene immunotherapy can be used to fight cancer. But they could also be used to create a strong immune response against HIV, said the study’s corresponding author Otto Yang, Professor at David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles
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