Makerere University Establishes New Laboratory to Advance HIV Cure Research

Makerere University has established a new laboratory dedicated to studying the behaviour of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) outside the human body, in a move scientists believe could contribute to the global search for a cure.

Speaking to URN in an interview, Prof. Moses Joloba, a molecular biologist at Makerere University’s School of Biomedical Sciences, said that while previous research has largely focused on how the virus behaves inside the human body, through studies of antibodies, viral load and immune responses, the new laboratory will instead investigate the virus itself under controlled laboratory conditions.

According to Joloba, understanding how HIV survives outside its human host and how it evades treatment by hiding in viral reservoirs could provide crucial insights into eliminating the virus. He was speaking shortly after he delivered a keynote address to scientists on advances in clinical research and how the university sustains its research programme

Speaking about sustaining the university’s research programme, Prof. Richard Idro, the Deputy Principal of Makerere University’s College of Health Sciences, said the institution currently conducts about 60 per cent of all health research undertaken in Uganda. However, he noted that important research gaps remain and need to be addressed to better respond to the country’s evolving health challenges.

Idro said that in addition to ongoing HIV and tuberculosis (TB) research, the college has expanded its research portfolio to include early childhood development and non-communicable diseases, areas that are increasingly contributing to Uganda’s disease burden.

Previously, much of the university’s research was financed by international partners. However, Idro said the government’s decision to allocate up to 30 billion Shillings annually to Makerere University through the Research and Innovations Fund has enabled scientists to pursue research that directly addresses local priorities and community needs.

Although the internationally accredited Makerere-based laboratory is only now embarking on HIV cure research, numerous cure studies employing different scientific approaches have been conducted worldwide over the years.