2024-09-11 14:21:52
A group of Canadian researchers has discovered just that metformina common drug to treat type 2 diabetes, may play an important role in eliminating HIV in people receiving antiretroviral therapy. This finding was published in a recent study in the journal ‘iScientific’ taken by immunity Petronela Ancutafrom the middle studies of the University of Montreal.
In 2021, this group has already shown that metformin, taken for three months, improves the immunity of patients and reduces chronic inflammation in the joint associated with complications such as cardiovascular diseases.
Now, you’ve seen that, in addition to improves immunity and reduces inflammation Associated with complications such as cardiovascular disease, metformin can also inhibit HIV replication in immune system cells known as CD4 T lymphocytes, where the virus usually gains protection.
Dr. Ancuta said: “We were surprised by the initial results. “Metformin has a double effect: it increases the number of HIV-infected cells, but it also prevents the virus from escaping from these cells.”
A key mechanism of this process is that metformin overrides the BST2 protein, which acts as a “glue“which allows HIV viruses to attach to the surface of infected cells, facilitating their detection and elimination by the immune system.
By combining metformin with antibodies already used in treatments, HIV-infected cells can be identified and eliminated.
This breakthrough offers a new perspective on the HIV eradication process known as «shock and kill“, which seeks to reactivate and destroy infected cells. Dr. Ancuta suggests that by combining metformin with the antibodies already used in treatments, the cells that the virus is made of can be targeted and eliminated.
“In people with HIV and receiving antiretroviral therapy, metformin can be used to reactivate the reservoir cells for viral replication after stopping treatment, in combination with antibiotics that are already used in the clinic and that he coped well. “These antibodies can then detect the rare diseased cells and eliminate them,” he said.
In the next phase of his research, Ancuta plans to launch a clinical trial to validate the results of his in vitro research.
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