[CLSTR]
API
< Back to all clusters
[HEALTH] · United States, South Africa · 4 sources

started · updated

Part of situation: HIV research and treatment developments (2 clusters)

Experimental antibody prevents HIV-like virus return in monkey study

HIV research SIV CCR5 receptor antiviral therapy viral reservoir

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have developed an experimental antibody that successfully prevented the return of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), a relative of HIV, in infant monkeys. The study, published in Nature Microbiology, focused on targeting the latent viral reservoir—cells where the virus hides and remains dormant during antiretroviral therapy.

The antibody works by binding to both CCR5, a protein used by the virus to enter cells, and CD3, a protein complex on T cells. This mechanism directs the immune system to attack cells carrying the CCR5 protein, including those that may harbor the virus or are at risk of future infection. In one tested monkey, the virus remained undetectable in the blood for four years following a single dose of the antibody combined with early antiviral treatment.

Separately, a study published in The Lancet HIV regarding the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa indicates that HIV prevention progress may have stalled. While new infections declined significantly between 2013 and 2018, incidence rates appeared to plateau between 2019 and 2025. The research noted that while incidence continued to drop among young adults, this was offset by increases in older adults.

Entities

Dennis Hartigan-O'Connor · Jesse Deere · KwaZulu-Natal · The Lancet HIV · University of California, Davis

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

  • [● 2 SOURCES] An experimental antibody prevented the return of SIV in some infant monkeys after antiviral therapy ended. n1info.rs · www.sciencealert.com
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] HIV incidence declined by 52% in males and 37% in females in the studied region from 2013 to 2018. groundup.org.za
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] HIV incidence in KwaZulu-Natal plateaued between 2019 and 2025. groundup.org.za
  • [● 2 SOURCES] The experimental antibody binds to both CCR5 and CD3 protein complexes. n1info.rs · www.sciencealert.com
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] The number of people with detectable HIV viraemia increased by 10% from 2019 to 2025. groundup.org.za

Sources

One Dose of Experimental Antibody Kept HIV-Like Virus in Remission For 4 Years in a Monkey [www.sciencealert.com]
A Taiwan biotech is turning antibodies into an HIV lifesaver [www.bioxconomy.com]
A new study suggests HIV prevention has stalled. But there may be a silver lining [groundup.org.za]
Jedna doza antitela sprečila povratak virusa sličnog HIV-u tokom četiri godine [n1info.rs]