Kenyan Professor, Benson Edagwa is among the team of scientists that is working on a new HIV drug that will potentially cure the disease.
As per reports published by Nature Communications, a journal, the team used a combination of gene-editing technology (CRISPR) and a therapeutic treatment called LASER ART to erase HIV DNA from the genomes of animals.
He is also the lead medicinal and formulation chemist on interdisciplinary collaborative research efforts towards the development of better treatments against HIV and other chronic infections.
Edagwa is currently an assistant professor of pharmacology at the University of Nebraska Medical Centre (UNMC).
He has been an assistant professor at the University for two years, since July 2017.
Benson who spoke to kenyans.co.ke gave a short background saying, "I was born in a small village in Western province called Isitsi in Maragoli town. I then attended Mbale high school prior to my undergraduate studies at Moi University's Chepkoilel that is currently the University of Eldoret."
The former alumnae of Moi University in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu county, also boasts of a Ph.D. in organic chemistry that he earned from Louisiana State University.
Aside from work, Edagwa also scooped nine honors and awards from various universities in the United States since 2010 with the latest being ViiV Healthcare Distinguished Scientist in 2016.
The academician is a principal author or major contributor to more than 30 published biomedical papers in peer-reviewed journals and listed as an inventor on twelve US patent applications.
Edagwa, boasts of Memberships and Other Offices in Professional Societies such as the American Chemical Society, Division of Organic Chemistry, American Society for Nanomedicine, British Society for Nanomedicine and Controlled Release Society.
The groundbreaking research of which Edagwa is a part of, conducted the study in 29 mice and in the various tests the scientists found no trace of the virus in 30 percent.
Use of Mice in the research is because they are biologically similar to humans and get many of the same diseases, for the same genetic reasons.
They can, therefore, be genetically manipulated to mimic virtually any human disease or condition which is good news because there is hope for a cure for the disease in humans.
Kenyans took to social media to express their pride in the son of the soil who was part of the historical research.
The Association of Kenyan Microbiologists and Scientists on Facebook stated, "A Kenyan, Dr. Benson Edagwa, has discovered a drug, Laser ART, that can potentially eliminate HIV from the human body. We are proud of our own
"Good news! A Kenyan, Dr. Benson Edagwa Ph.D. ( University of Nebraska Medical Centre) has discovered LASER ART, a drug that completely eliminates HIV from the human body. Stories that our local media should tell us," boasted another social media user, Eric Amunga.
