Cintia A. , Lebledparle.com
It seems there is hope for HIV patients in Africa who are considered to be carrying a death sentence as South Africa is pioneering an advanced study that might be able to cure this disease. A HIV cure trial conducted in the city of Durban that has yielded promising results. According to reports the virus was successfully controlled in some participants without them needing the antiretroviral therapy (ART). This results were presented at the 2025 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in San Francisco, tested a treatment approach known as combination immunotherapy.
The study presented 20 women who were enrolled and the each of them started ART soon after contracting the virus to achieve early suppression, after that they received immune-boosting treatments before stopping medication under medical supervision to determine whether their bodies could maintain control over the virus. In an impressive breakthrough, the results showed that 30% of the participants remained off treatment for nearly a year, while 20% (four women) continued without ART for an average of 1.5 years after the trial. Though most participants needed to resume treatment, these findings suggest that a functional HIV cure could be within reach for some individuals.
Professor Thumbi Ndung’u, the lead researcher in the study, highlighted the importance of understanding why some participants were able to control the virus. He also noted that conducting complex cure research in Africa is a major step toward making advanced HIV treatments accessible in regions where they are most needed.
While not a universal cure, this trial represents a significant breakthrough and lays the foundation for future research aimed at developing more effective, long-term HIV treatment solutions. With the suspension of the USAID by the Trump administration that has halted HIV treatment, a groundbreaking research as such should be further pushed and worked on for more visible results.
