Australian study

HIV: the mRNA technology that could change everything

As US reduces investment, a Melbourne research team finds the key to fighting the virus

by Francesca Cerati

5 June 2025

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4' min read

Key points

U.S.: a setback in HIV research
A new approach to detecting the virus
MRNA as key to revealing the virus
A step towards a cure, but there is still a long way to go
Beyond HIV: future implications

4' min read

The decades-long scientific challenge against HIV has been to find a way to train the immune system to produce antibodies capable of targeting numerous variants of the virus. Traditional approaches have not worked, mainly because HIV mutates rapidly and hides key parts of itself from the immune system. Now, however, a new study published in Nature Communications by Melbourne researchers has demonstrated a way to make the virus visible inside white blood cells, effectively paving the way for eliminating it completely from the body. The discovery, which exploits mRNA technology, could therefore change the course of AIDS treatment history.

U.S.: backward step in HIV research

The news comes just as the United States decides instead to reduce funding for research against the virus. In fact, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has decided to discontinue a $258 million programme to develop vaccines against HIV and other viruses. Added to this news is the Trump administration's decision to stop clinical trials of an AIDS vaccine developed by the company Moderna. This vaccine is based on mRNA technology, the same technology that gave rise to the Covid-19 vaccines, but which in the context of HIV has been met with scepticism and conspiracy theories by some of the former president's supporters. As virologist John Moore points out: 'The HIV pandemic will never end without a vaccine. Killing research on one will end up killing people'.

A new approach to detect the virus

So while the United States puts the brakes on, news arrives from Australia that could rewrite the rules of research. At the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne, a team of scientists has made a discovery that has already surprised the scientific community: they have found a way to force HIV, which hides inside white blood cells, to reveal itself.

As explained by Paula Cevaal, co-author of the study, one of the main obstacles in the treatment of HIV is the ability of the virus to 'hide' in the cells of the immune system. These cells not only house the virus, but also protect it from any attempted attack by the immune system or drugs. "Our hope is that this new nanoparticle design could be a new pathway to a cure for HIV," says Cevaal.

MRNA as the key to revealing the virus

The Australian researchers' innovative approach is based on the use of mRna technology, which, in this case, is used to force infected cells to 'show' HIV, making the virus visible, which would otherwise be hidden. Until now, it was thought impossible to deliver mRna to the type of white blood cells that harbour HIV, because the nanoparticles that carry it are not absorbed. But the Melbourne team has developed a special type of nanoparticle, called Lnp X, that can reach virus-infected blood cells and once the mRna is inside the cells, it instructs them to detect the virus.

"Our hope is that this new technology could pave the way for a treatment that completely eliminates the virus from the body," said Cevaal. Although scientists are still cautious and further studies are needed, the possibility of 'revealing' the virus inside the white blood cells could make the treatment more effective and, in an ideal future, lead to an actual cure.

A step towards a cure, but still a long way to go

There are nearly 40 million people worldwide with HIV who must take drugs for the rest of their lives to suppress the virus and ensure they do not develop symptoms or transmit it. For many it remains deadly, with UNAids data suggesting that in 2023 one person died of HIV every minute. A complete cure currently remains a distant dream, but the Melbourne study marks a first step on this long road, which will include further trials and clinical trials.

As Cevaal points out: 'In the field of biomedicine, many things do not make it to the clinic in the end. I don't want to paint a prettier picture than what the reality is'. However, science has never seen such promising results in the search for a cure for Aids.

Beyond HIV: future implications

The discovery could also have wider implications. According to Michael Roche, of the University of Melbourne, 'this discovery could also be useful for other diseases, including cancers'. Infected cells, particularly those of the immune system, could be the target for treatment of other serious conditions, opening up new possibilities for medicine. The challenge now is to see whether this detection of the virus will be enough to allow the immune system to deal with it, or whether a combined approach with other therapies will be needed to eliminate it from the body.

According to Jonathan Stoye, scientist emeritus at the Francis Crick Institute, in fact, 'a big unknown remains: does one need to eliminate the entire reservoir for success or only most of it? If only 10% of the latent reservoir survives, will that be enough to seed a new infection? Only time will tell. That said, the study represents an important potential advance in the delivery of mRna for therapeutic purposes to blood cells'.