Medicinal Plant and Traditional Knowledge-guided Strategies to Combat HIV Persistence

This review discusses how traditional medicinal plants and long held community knowledge could help address one of the biggest obstacles in HIV cure research — the fact that current antiretroviral therapy suppresses the virus but does not eliminate hidden reservoirs of HIV that persist in the body. The authors point out that in Sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere, people have long used plant-based remedies as part of traditional health care, including for symptoms of HIV and related illnesses. Some of these plants contain natural compounds that have been found to activate latent HIV, a key step toward targeting and clearing viral reservoirs that remain even with treatment.

The review highlights several plant families, such as Euphorbiaceae and Thymelaeaceae, whose extracts show activity in laboratory studies through mechanisms like protein kinase C activation. These traditional medicines are increasingly being tested in human cells and animal models, suggesting they could offer new avenues for therapies that complement conventional treatment.

The authors also emphasize the importance of engaging with traditional health practitioners to build respectful collaborations, share benefits, and integrate community knowledge with scientific research. By doing so, scientists can explore potentially useful plant derived agents that people have already been using, while ensuring safety and effectiveness through rigorous study.

Overall, the article suggests that combining traditional knowledge with modern science could expand the range of tools available in the quest for treatments that go beyond long-term viral suppression toward strategies that could reduce or eliminate persistent HIV infection.

Disclaimer: This lay summary was generated by AI and has not been approved by any of the authors yet.