Gene editing shows promise in combating HIV reservoirs

Gene therapy has experienced a renaissance of late, and it’s a technology that many researchers in HIV are embracing. That’s because the ability to manipulate genes—particularly CCR5, which is known to play a role in HIV resistance—could help combat a problem that has plagued the field for years: Even when patients respond well to antiretroviral treatments, they can harbor HIV “reservoirs,” which are dormant stores of virus that can resurge at any time.