Researchers at Harvard Medical School-affiliated Immune Disease Institute have used RNA interference (RNAi) to dramatically suppress HIV infection in an organism (in this study, mice).

Using an attached antibody molecule. the scientists delivered short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) — molecules that silence genes by disrupting the protein templates they produce — directly into T cells, which are targeted by HIV.

The method may eventually supplement or replace the harsh drug cocktails currently prescribed to patients with HIV, reducing the side effects of treatment.