A new study by Canadian and Chinese researchers has once again shown the resilience of HIV, which survives and thrives through mutation.

Released on Thursday, the study shows the virus can quickly develop resistance to the promising CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technique - better known as the molecular Swiss army knife.

The findings, published in the US journal Cell Reports, call for additional tweaking of the gene editing technique before it can be used as an effective antiviral tool.

Upon entering a cell, HIV's genome is converted into DNA that becomes entwined with the host's genetic material. The new technique can be programmed to target a DNA sequence and cleave away the viral parts. The new study used the "molecular knife" therapy to cut off HIV within cellular DNA and found that, while the resulting mutations can inhibit viral replication, some also led to unexpected resistance, or virus escape.

The study was a collaboration between researchers at McGill University and the University of Montreal in Canada, and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College in China.

The researchers said it serves as a cautionary tale for those who hope to apply CRISPR/Cas9 as an antiviral tool.

They proposed strategies that could overcome this limitation, including targeting multiple sites with the technique or using other enzymes aside from Cas9.

Once a solution is found, the next step will be identifying ways to deliver the treatment.

"CRISPR/Cas9 gives a new hope toward finding a cure, not just for HIV, but for many other viruses," said senior author Chen Liang from the Jewish General Hospital in Canada, an associate professor of medicine at the McGill University AIDS Center.