HIV Remains Suppressed in Some Patients After Treatment Withdrawal

HIV Remains Suppressed in Some Patients After Treatment Withdrawal

For millions of people with HIV (PWH), a daily regimen of medications is a lifelong necessity. If they stop taking antiretroviral therapy (ART), the virus usually rushes back within weeks. But this isn’t the case for everyone. Scientists have been baffled by rare individuals who, after stopping the drug regimen, still keep the virus under control for months or even years. “Strikingly, a small number of people rebound much more slowly and take mu…

How does DDIT4 activation prevent HIV rebound?

DDIT4 as a “lock” against HIV reactivation Researchers investigating why HIV can rebound after ART interruption report that metformin can help keep the virus dormant by activating a pathway involving the gene DDIT4. In the study’s framing, DDIT4 functions like a molecular “lock”: once engaged, it…

New study shows that the common diabetes drug metformin can keep HIV dormant by activating a "molecular lock" gene called DDIT4. By preventing the virus from reawakening, this discovery offers a new path toward long-term HIV remission without the need for