It may not do away with the HIV-virus entirely, but the Italian discovery of the Tat protein “brings us closer to the eradication of the virus and promises to improve the lives of millions of patients,” says Barbara Ensoli, researcher of Higher Institute of Health (ISS) that discovered the protein vaccine more than 20 years ago.

The discovery reached a turning point yesterday with the ISS’ presentation on a study published by the journal “Frontiers in Immunology”, conducted on 92 patients for eight years in over 100 Italian clinical centers. Used for therapeutic purposes, the Tat protein should slow disease progression for HIV-positive patients. Used preventatively, a Tat-based vaccine could interrupt the virus-host dynamics during the early stages of infection.