While working with a cancer fighting drug, Stanford researchers found the same drug may be effective in killing HIV infected cells.
HIV destroys the human immune system by attacking certain white blood cells called T- cells which, when healthy, help destroy diseased and otherwise unhealthy cells.
Stanford researchers recently found that low doses of the drug called motexafin gadolinium (or Gd-Tex) selectively kills HIV-infected T-cells.
High levels of the drug often destroy all T- cells they come in contact with, but Omar Perez, a Stanford graduate student, tried a smaller dose of the drug and found it only selectively killed the infected cells.
Unfortunately, when using this in humans there is a chance that the dying, infected cells may release toxins into the blood stream.
