Observation and evaluation

The person who received the first single-dose intravenous infusion EBT-101 therapy is being observed and evaluated for rebound of the HIV virus. Since this treatment has never been done before, researchers want to make sure the treatment stops the virus from replicating itself in the body. The research team is hoping that the individual will no longer need to use the antiretroviral therapy, which is currently the standard in HIV treatment.

Launching the EBT-101 phase 1/2 clinical trial

The trial was launched by Kamel Khalili, PhD, Laura H. Carnell, professor and chair of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Inflammation, director of the Center for Neurovirology and Gene Editing and director of the Comprehensive NeuroAIDS Center, and Tricia H. Burdo, PhD, professor and vice chair of the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Inflammation at the Katz School of Medicine.

Dr. Khalili mentioned that there are still no curative treatments for HIV after more than 40 years since the virus was discovered. Nearly 40 million people worldwide suffer from HIV. He said EBT-101 can potentially address long-standing unmet needs of individuals living with HIV/AIDS by removing viral DNA from their cells, thereby eradicating infection.

Details of the trial

The trial is a study meant to evaluate the safety and efficacy of EBT-101 in approximately nine participants living with HIV-1. These individuals undergoing the study are suppressed on antiretroviral therapy. Its goal is to assess the tolerability of a single dose of EBT-101 in participants and their response to it. There was an initial 48-week follow up period for the trial, with an intended long-term follow up.

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First person to ever be treated with CRISPR-based HIV gene therapy - Interesting Engineering