One-Time Cell Therapy Shows Promise in Controlling HIV Infection

A new one-time cell therapy, for HIV infection has shown promising results in a small early-stage study, raising hopes for a future where people living with HIV may not need lifelong daily medication.

Researchers found that the experimental treatment was able to keep the virus under control in some patients even after they stopped taking antiretroviral therapy (ART), marking an important step forward in HIV research.

The study involved nine people living with HIV who received an experimental CAR-T cell therapy. The treatment works by modifying a patient’s own immune cells so they can identify and attack HIV-infected cells more effectively. Scientists targeted key parts of the virus that help it infect the body, aiming to strengthen the immune system’s natural ability to control HIV without continuous drug treatment.

Among the participants, three patients received the therapy without undergoing chemotherapy before treatment. Two of them were able to maintain very low or undetectable viral suppression levels for nearly one to two years after stopping ART.

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Another participant initially experienced a rise in the virus level, but it later stabilized at a low level. Researchers said the therapy was generally safe and did not cause the serious side effects that are sometimes seen with cell and gene therapy treatments used for cancer.

The experimental therapy was developed by Caring Cross together with researchers from the University of California San Francisco, UC Davis, and Case Western Reserve University Hospital. Scientists believe the approach could eventually become a more practical and scalable option compared to the rare stem-cell transplant procedures that have cured a small number of HIV patients in the past.

Although the findings are encouraging, researchers stressed that the study is still in its early stages and involved only a limited number of participants. Larger clinical trials will be needed to confirm whether the therapy can consistently control HIV over the long term.

The findings were presented at the American Society of Cell and Gene Therapy annual meeting, where experts described the results as an important development in the global search for a functional cure for HIV.

This breakthrough comes alongside updated global guidance by the WHO on HIV clinical management. In December 2025, the WHO released revised recommendations confirming dolutegravir-based regimens as the preferred treatment option for HIV, while introducing long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy for patients who struggle with daily oral medication.

The guidelines also stressed new protocols for preventing mother-to-child disease transmission, by recommending exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, with continued breastfeeding up to 12 and 24 months or alongside effective maternal antiretroviral therapy. As tuberculosis remains the leading cause of death for people with HIV, WHO recommends a three-month weekly regimen of isoniazid plus rifapentine as the preferred preventive treatment.