African plant discovery offers new hope for HIV treatment
A plant from the spurge family growing in Africa shows potential for fighting HIV during its latency phase. Scientists have only recently discovered this capability, although the species has been known for years and has already been used to treat various diseases and ailments.
7:54 AM EST, November 23, 2024
Researchers from the Wistar Institute and the University of Buea in Cameroon have reached surprising conclusions. The plant species Croton oligandrus has demonstrated medicinal mechanisms with antiviral potential against HIV.
Findings from the researchers are reported in the "Journal of Experimental Pharmacology." It is possible that although the research was conducted locally, it could have global effects.
This work demonstrates the value of global partnerships to the search for an HIV cure. An effective cure will need to reach people around the world, and by leveraging traditional African ethnomedicine, we’re making progress toward a cure with accessibility in mind, emphasized Luis Montaner, director of the HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center, who is leading HIV research at Wistar.
Research has been ongoing for years. HIV is still not completely curable
Research on HIV and AIDS has been ongoing for years but has not yielded definitive results. While it is true that people can live a full life with HIV, the virus cannot be completely eliminated. Even with continuous antiretroviral treatment, the virus remains in reservoirs throughout the body and can reactivate at any moment.
This species has been used in traditional medicine for years
C. oligandrus was chosen by scientists for research because it has a long history and, along with other related African plants, has been used in ethnomedicine.
As reported by zielona.interia.pl, residents of Cameroon and neighboring countries have relied on traditional plant medicine from healers for thousands of years to treat a wide range of diseases, from cancer to diabetes. Now, some species are proving effective even in treating HIV.
Scientists isolated compounds from the powdered bark and conducted tests that confirmed that four out of six compounds could reverse HIV latency in vitro. The authors of the studies hope this will lead to a breakthrough.
