Here's a positive news for HIV sufferers.

Canadian and American scientists have discovered novel methods to boost effectiveness of the existing medications to combat the lethal illness.

Presently, people with HIV/AIDS are dealt with highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART), which contains at least three active anti-retroviral medicinal drugs. The HAART 'cocktail' is suppresses viral replication in the blood.

Even though HAART holdups the AIDS progression and increases life, it does not result in cure of the disease.

But now scientists from Montreal University, McGill University, and the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute of Florida (VGTI) have released a new research that may lead to a development of the role of the existing medicinal drug arsenal used to battle human immunodeficiency virus.

The combined research, released in the journal Nature Medicine, showed that how the key role of two molecules, PD-1 and IL-10, can determine the function of CD4/T-helper cells and change their capability to battle HIV.

Study's lead author Rafick-Pierre Sekaly said, "Our findings show that the membrane protein PD-1 is up-regulated during HIV infection by the release of bacterial products from the gut and this subsequently increases the production of a cell derived factor, IL-10 that paralyses the immune system."

"Our results suggest that it is important to block both IL-10 and PD-1 interactions to restore the immune response during HIV infection. We believe that immunotherapies that target PD-1 and IL-10 should be part of the arsenal used to restore immune function in HIV-infected subjects,'' Rafick added. (With Input from Agencies)