A groundbreaking discovery in Australia is lighting up the path to a potential HIV cure—and it all starts with mRNA. Researchers at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne have developed a way to make HIV visible inside white blood cells. Using mRNA wrapped in lipid nanoparticles—nicknamed “fat bubbles”—scientists were able to insert the material into cells donated by people living with HIV.
These same fat bubbles were famously used to deliver mRNA in COVID-19 vaccines. Once inside the cell, the mRNA attaches itself to the HIV, making it easier to spot the virus, which usually hides and mutates quickly, creating countless variants. The new mRNA method, however, has been able to detect multiple strains.
Dr. Paula Cevaal, one of the institute’s researchers, said,
“We have never seen anything close to as good as what we are seeing…We’re very hopeful that we are also able to see this type of response in an animal, and that we could eventually do this in humans.”
Dr. Michael Roche, co-senior author, added that this discovery might also help treat cancer. In the U.S., Dr. Anthony Fauci has echoed the promise of mRNA for HIV vaccine development. Moderna, in partnership with the Gates Foundation and others, continues its own mRNA HIV vaccine trials. While a cure is still years away, this new development gives fresh hope to millions around the world, especially in the queer community, who’ve long borne the brunt of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
