Five people who had HIV have been given the all-clear after using an unusual cocktail of drugs, including one usually used for cancer.
The ground-breaking new trial used two vaccines currently used to treat the virus, plus a cancer drug called romidepsin, which is said to have 'flushed the HIV out of hiding' so it can then be found and eradicated by the anti-viral drugs.
In total, 24 people, who had recently been diagnosed with HIV, were given two vaccines as well as antiretroviral drugs.
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Fifteen people were then given more of one of the drugs, plus three doses of romidepsin. As well as an additional vaccine boost before the trial ended.
Credit: PA
Of those 15, five have suppressed the virus while 10 have started experiencing HIV again.
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One patient who took part in the trial has been free of the virus for seven months. The other four have been free of any detectable virus for six, 14, 19 and 21 weeks.
It is unclear at this point why some patients didn't respond to the treatment, and the institute will now attempt to look into why the results differed.
Beatriz Mothe, who set the study up, told the New Scientist that there is still a long way to go, but 'we're on the right path'.
If these results could be replicated, as well as improving the quality of life of those living with HIV, it would also save a fortune as currently people who have HIV are reliant on antiretroviral drugs for life.
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Source: New Scientist
Featured Image Credit: PA