A medicinal plant found in Cameroon has shown notable anti-HIV properties, paving the way for a potential HIV cure.
Researchers from The Wistar Institute and the University of Buea in Cameroon investigated the effectiveness of Croton oligandrus Pierre & Hutch on HIV latency.
C. oligandrus is a tropical tree found in West and Central Africa and has been used to treat many ailments and diseases in the region, including cancer, diabetes, and inflammatory and urinary diseases, the study noted.
Researchers investigated whether the medicinal components of C. oligandrus could reactivate latent HIV--the virus that is "in hiding," preventing medicines and the immune system from eliminating it. By isolating compounds from the plant's dried bark and running assays, they found that the medicinal plant offered great latency reversal; especially when administered with other latency-reversing agents (LRA).
"Our work shows that there's reason to be hopeful about C. oligandrus's potential in aiding in the HIV cure effort," explained Ian Tietjen, Ph.D., assistant professor and education director of Global Studies & Partnerships at The Wistar Institute's Hubert J.P. Schoemaker Education and Training Center.
"Forcing HIV out of hiding so that researchers can kill the virus is a challenge, so identifying an LRA compound that synergizes with other LRAs to improve their strength is a victory—especially given its discovery in a part of the world where HIV cure research will make such a large impact."
The researchers hope this groundbreaking discovery can help advance HIV cure research in the world.
According to data from the World Health Organization, 25.6 million people are living with HIV in Africa. More than 760,000 people were newly infected in 2022, while 380,000 died of AIDS-related illnesses in the same year.
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