Unlocking The Potential: CRISPR’s Revolutionary Approach to Curing HIV: A Review

Abstract

HIV infection continues to pose a health threat to the population and is spread mostly through the exchange of body fluids whereby it invades and compromises the body’s CD4+ T cells leading to AIDS. This type rapidly infects through heterosexual contact, needle-sharing injection and sexual contact that often comes with transmission of infected fluids. This is because HIV enters the host’s DNA and hence is not easily detected and eradicated by the immune system, or antiretroviral drugs and has a high mutation rate that enhances drug resistance. CRISPR-Cas9 has an excellent potential for use as a treatment since it could eliminate or neutralize the integrated HIV DNA. Thematically, new research is based on HIV’s molecular mechanisms, CRISPR intervention efficacy, and eliminating side effects to advance HIV treatment and affect a cure.