Researchers at the Department of Medicine in Huddinge have recently unveiled groundbreaking research on how certain individuals with HIV are able to control the virus without the need for treatment. This discovery sheds light on the potential role of gut bacteria and a specific dipeptide in managing HIV and paves the way for innovative prevention strategies.
Presented at the 23rd European Conference on HIV and Hepatitis in 2025, researchers Xiangning Bai and Rafael Cena Diez from the Department of Medicine in Huddinge shared their findings on elite controllers – individuals living with HIV who can naturally suppress the virus without the use of antiviral medications.
Bai’s research delved into the gut microbiota of elite controllers using advanced sequencing techniques, revealing a strong association between HIV control and previously unidentified bacterial species. Building upon previous studies by Sönnerborg’s team, which identified a dipeptide called WG that inhibits HIV, Bai aims to explore whether these newly discovered bacteria can produce WG or other substances that contribute to virus suppression.
The research conducted by Cena Diez focused on optimizing a method to test the effects of WG on HIV infection using cervical tissue from HIV-negative women. The results demonstrated that the dipeptide effectively inhibits HIV infection in the tissue without causing harm to the mucosa. This breakthrough opens up possibilities for developing microbicides that could prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
The implications of this research extend beyond understanding the interplay between gut bacteria and viral control. Bai and Cena Diez’s work offers a potential pathway for developing novel preventive treatments for HIV, leveraging the insights gained from studying elite controllers.
This research, conducted at the forefront of HIV studies, has the potential to revolutionize our approach to managing and preventing HIV infections. By unraveling the intricate relationship between gut microbiota, specific dipeptides, and viral control, researchers are paving the way for innovative strategies to combat HIV and improve public health outcomes.
Provided by Karolinska Institutet
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How some people with HIV can control the virus without treatment (2025, June 11)
Retrieved 11 June 2025 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-people-hiv-virus-treatment.html
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