The mice used in the study were humanized, meaning they were transplanted with human bone marrow, liver and thymus cells, which results in a functioning human immune system. In the study, the mice either received no drugs or were given commonly prescribed antiretroviral drug therapy and then were exposed to HIV either rectally or intravenously at a higher level than would occur in a typical human.
None of nine treated mice exposed rectally showed signs of HIV infection. But 12 of the 19 control mice became infected. Among the mice exposed intravenously, all six of the control mice became infected but seven of the eight treated mice were protected against infection.
