For fun… ChatGPT question: Which CCR5 blocker wi

For fun… ChatGPT question: Which CCR5 blocker will cure HIV? Answer: Currently, no CCR5 blocker or any other treatment has been proven to cure HIV. However, CCR5 blockers are an important class of antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV by preventing the virus from entering immune cells. The most well-known CCR5 blocker is:
   •   Maraviroc (Selzentry): An FDA-approved drug that blocks the CCR5 co-receptor on T cells, preventing HIV from binding and entering the cells. It is used as part of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) but does not cure HIV.

???? CCR5 and HIV Cure Research

Some experimental approaches involving CCR5 have shown potential for curing HIV, including:
   •   Stem cell transplants from CCR5-Δ32 donors: A small number of patients, such as the Berlin patient (Timothy Ray Brown) and the London patient (Adam Castillejo), were effectively cured of HIV after receiving stem cell transplants from donors with a CCR5-Δ32 mutation, which makes cells resistant to HIV infection.
   •   Gene editing (CRISPR-Cas9): Ongoing trials are investigating whether using CRISPR to delete or alter the CCR5 gene in T cells could make them resistant to HIV, potentially offering a functional cure.

✅ Key takeaway:

While CCR5 blockers like Maraviroc help treat HIV, they do not cure it. However, CCR5-targeted gene therapy and stem cell transplants have demonstrated cure potential in rare cases, though they are not yet widely available or considered viable large-scale cures.