Researchers have discovered a new method to bring HIV out of immune cells, potentially bringing us closer to a future cure.
One of the greatest challenges in finding a cure for HIV is the virus’s ability to hide inside CD4 cells – a type of immune cell.
This allows HIV to remain dormant in the body and reactivate at any time. Neither the immune system nor current medications can fully eliminate it.
For the first time, researchers have discovered a way to expose the hidden HIV virus within white blood cells, potentially allowing it to be cleared from the body.
The breakthrough technique uses mRNA technology, which was made popular during the COVID-19 pandemic through Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
In the study, published in Nature Communications, scientists successfully delivered mRNA to infected white blood cells by enclosing it in a microscopic fat bubble. Once inside, the mRNA instructs the cells to unmask the virus.
As of 2025, around 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV. To avoid developing symptoms or transmitting the virus, they must take lifelong medication to suppress it.
Still, HIV remains deadly for many. According to UNAIDS, one person died from HIV every minute in 2023.
Dr. Daula Cevaal, the co-first author of the new study, said the breakthrough was once considered “impossible,” as immune cells typically don’t absorb fat-based nanoparticles.
In this new study, however, they were able to develop a new type of fat nanoparticle that immune cells readily take in. They hope this innovative design will ultimately lead to a cure for HIV.
It wasn’t until they successfully replicated the results in subsequent lab tests that the team realized the potential of their discovery.
The study, which is lab-based, was carried out using immune cells donated by HIV patients.
For now, more research is needed to determine whether the immune system can effectively attack HIV once it’s exposed. Depending on those findings, scientists may need to combine this approach with other therapies to fully eliminate the virus from the body.
While the team remains hopeful that this technology could lead to a cure for HIV, it will likely take many years before clinical trials can begin, as it must first undergo successful testing in animals and safety trials in humans.
Dr. Michael Roche, a co-senior author of the study, also believes the discovery may help treat more than HIV as the mRNA technology can also be used to target other diseases such as cancer.
