St Vincent’s researchers make important HIV discovery You are here:HomeNewsroomNews St Vincent’s researchers make important HIV discovery 30 Nov 2022 A research paper recently published by St Vincent’s Scientist, Kazuo Suzuki, St Vincent’s Neurologist, Professor Bruce Brew and other cross disciplinary research collaborators has proven that brain injury is a common phenomenon in people living with HIV, even where there is no detectable HIV viral load, and their health otherwise is good. “Despite medication for HIV infection which can suppress HIV, we found unexpectedly high levels of intracellular HIV RNA transcription (cellular messengers carrying HIV genetic information) in spinal fluid and blood cells, which correlated with ongoing brain injury”, explained Kazuo. These results challenge current thinking that HIV brain injury is the result of pre-existing damage from past damage, or from other illnesses, or from medication toxicity. Rather, the research team have been able to clearly show that current HIV medications do not stop the production of components of the virus. They only stop the assembly of these components into whole virus. “These results mean that there is ongoing cell production of components of HIV (not complete HIV) which is damaging to the central nervous system, and probably elsewhere. The finding may even explain the increased rate of other illnesses in HIV disease including premature ageing. It therefore points to the need for a new class of medication to stop this production”, explained Prof Bruce Brew. To read the full research paper, please click here. Kazuo Suzuki, Researcher