The Gates Foundation is investing $5 million in HIV treatment

The charitable foundation of Bill Gates and his ex-wife Melinda Gates is investing $5 million in French biotech startup Smart Immune. This was reported by "Financial Times" based on the company's statement.

Funds from the Gates Foundation will be used to conduct initial trials of Smart Immune technology, which helps a patient with HIV to fully restore the immune system in a short period of time. The trial involves leukemia patients who need to restore their immune system after chemotherapy.

The method developed by the startup enables the transformation of stem cells into immature T-cells in the laboratory. After being introduced into the body, it develops in almost 100 days and the cells become an important part of the immune system.

“In comparison, it takes at least 18 months for patients who receive a bone marrow transplant to fully recover their immunity. Cells implanted using the Smart Immune method can live in the body for up to 10 years, the average lifespan of today's T-cells is from two to six weeks.