Fighting HIV with Stem Cells and Cutting-Edge Genetics

November 11, 2014

(Bioscience Technology) – “Berlin Patient” Timothy Brown was cured of HIV after he received stem cells from a patient naturally immune to the disease. His story inspired two companies to try and recreate that natural immunity in HIV patients using stem cells and two (then-new) gene-editing techniques. The approach has proven so popular that long before conclusive clinical trial results are due in, a third team has entered the fray: Harvard University. Harvard is using stem cells and the hottest gene-editing newcomer of all: CRISPR/Cas9.