Scientists have successfully devised a method to find drugs that can flush out the hidden HIV that evades antiretroviral (ARV) drugs and makes viral eradication impossible, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation and reported by Bloomberg News. So far, a compound called 5HN, which is derived from the black walnut tree, works best at coaxing out the latent reservoirs.

Researchers once hoped that ARV therapy would be potent enough to drive HIV to extinction, but they soon learned that the virus is able to survive by hiding out in resting CD4 cells. When people stop taking the drugs, the virus comes roaring back.

A number of attempts have been made to provoke these resting cells into activity and thus make the hidden virus accessible to ARVs, but all so far have failed.

Robert Siliciano, MD, PhD, from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and his colleagues now report they have developed a cell-based method for testing compounds that can activate resting CD4 cells. They’ve already tested 2.400 compounds and hope that the technology will ultimately lead to the successful development of an activating drug that, in combination with ARV therapy, will finally be able to eradicate HIV.

AIDSmeds will release an in-depth web exclusive in the coming weeks about this promising news.