Australian researchers on Friday announced a new AIDS treatment shown to be effective at controlling a similar virus in monkeys, Reuters reported.

The treatment, which mixes a patient’s own blood cells with small pieces of protein from the virus, was shown to be effective in controlling the infection but not curing it, University of Melbourne researchers said.

"The immunotherapy resulted in fewer deaths from AIDS," the study says. "We conclude this is a promising immunotherapy technique. Trials in HIV-infected humans of OPAL therapy are planned."

OPAL, which stands for Overlapping Peptide-pulsed Autologous Cells, is categorized as a so-called therapeutic vaccine, the story reported. It helps teach the cells to identify the virus and attack it more effectively, the researchers wrote in the study.

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