CRISPR Applications in HIV Management - Prevention, Diagnosis, Monitoring and Treatment

Despite global efforts to combat the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) still claims one life every minute, underscoring the persistent need for improved control strategies. Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR)-associated protein (Cas) technologies have emerged as promising tools that may transform HIV management. The objective of this review is to summarise recent advancements in CRISPR/Cas-based approaches for HIV prevention, diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment, and to evaluate their potential and current challenges. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify relevant CRISPR/Cas applications in HIV infection. In prevention, CRISPR/Cas strategies aim to hinder viral integration and enhance host immune response, although substantial development is required before clinical translation. In diagnosis, CRISPR/Cas methods show high specificity and sensitivity, yet their reliance on specialised equipment and expertise limits their accessibility. In HIV monitoring, CRISPR/Cas-based methods have not yet demonstrated superiority over the quantitative PCR. In treatment, two ongoing clinical trials - one targeting a viral co-receptor on hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and the other excising proviral DNA - illustrate the potential of CRISPR/Cas-mediated cures, despite challenges such as low editing efficiency and off-target effects. Overall, CRISPR/Cas technologies hold considerable promise for advancing HIV management, but issues of accessibility, affordability, and scalability must be addressed to ensure global impact.