HIV And Cancer Cure Soon To Be 'Discovered' - Scientist Who Co-Discovered HIV Says

Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, who co-discovered HIV/AIDS in 1983 has awaken the hope of those living with the virus after she says efforts are been put in place to develop a cure for HIV and cancer through collaboration.



The Nobel Laureate, made this disclosure in Paris while conducting some select journalists on a tour of the sophisticated laboratories at Institut Pasteur.


 Barre stated that,  a HIV Cure and Cancer Forum would on Saturday be inaugurated at the Institut Curie in Paris.

She said, 

“Efforts are now underway to determine if these cancer therapies can be used to build up the immune system of patients with HIV.

“This will be in such a way that HIV patients can achieve a durable and perhaps life-long treatment–free state of remission,’’ she said.

The former IAS President said that many of the key immune pathways now being therapeutically manipulated to cure cancer were first discovered in studies of chronic viral infections, particularly HIV.

“We know that controlling HIV in the absence of therapy will require the generation and maintenance of powerful CD8+ or Killer-T cells that can target vulnerable parts of the virus.

“The challenge is remarkably similar to that in oncology where the goal of innovative therapies is to generate Killer T cells that recognises and clear cancer cells.

“Timothy Brown is the only person cured of HIV, and this was due to the work of a highly resourceful team of Oncologists.

“His case illustrates that we need to do more to incentivise scientists to work across diseases and to ensure that research funding allows these synergies,” she said.

The Emeritus Director of Research at Inserm expressed optimism that synergy would continue to strengthen the sciences and research.

IAS President, Linda-Gail Bekker, on her part, said that continued support for research was essential.

She said the gathering in Paris would be used to inform the global community that research cuts would reverse the progress made against HIV and put more lives at risk.