Australian researcher may have developed the cure for AIDS

An Australian researcher has developed a gene therapy for HIV - which has the potential to stop the virus from turning deadly.

David Harrich, an associate professor at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR), will begin animal trials this year, but experiments in humans are still five years away.

Harrich has manipulated an HIV protein involved in gene expression, known as Tat, and turned it into a weapon against the virus.Using human immune system cells, known as T-cells, in the laboratory, he's shown the mutant protein prevents HIV replication.

At the same time, Harrich said the modified protein, dubbed Nullbasic, did not appear to adversely affect the human cells.

"So far we haven't found that Nullbasic causes toxicity in the cells we've tested," he said.

"I'm excited. Every test I've done with this agent has succeeded. It makes me optimistic it will work in humans. At the same time, I'm a skeptical scientist, and I'm going to require proof it can jump every hurdle."

QIMR researchers will soon begin testing the protein in mice.