The scientific community of the University of Minnesota is applauding the work of its researchers who have found that drugs used to battle cancer can be safely used to control and destroy the HIV virus.
The study brings the promise of hope to HIV patients. The two drugs used to control the virus already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in controlling other diseases.
After 20 years of intense HIV research, they found drugs used to manage one dreaded disease could help treat another.
Decimating and Gemcitabine are currently used to treat cancer. The drugs already approved by the FDA will save lots of time and money from any further regulation.
In lab experiments, the two drugs were able to stop the AIDS-causing virus by spurring it to mutate. This was observed on a plastic dish when the two drugs could make the HIV harmless within a group of infected cells.
The scientists had in fact worked on one of the traits of the HIV virus which is its ability to mutate at a very fast pace. The rate of mutation was increased until the virus died off.
The scientists discovered HIV has capability to mutate quickly making it hard to cure. The procedure involved increasing the mutation rate until the virus could no longer function and die.
The researchers found the combination of two drugs killed off the HIV cells quickly, sometimes in a matter of hours. Clinical trials in humans need to be conducted to conclude the finding.