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Updated: Jun 8, 2026
06:07
Oral Combinational Antiretroviral Treatment in HIV-1 Infected Humanized Mice
Published on: October 6, 2022
What do we need to do to cure HIV infection
1The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Summary
Finding an HIV cure involves stopping viral replication and eliminating latent HIV reservoirs. New drug insights and reservoir-targeting compounds are key to achieving a functional cure for HIV infection.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Current antiretroviral therapy (ART) effectively suppresses ongoing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication.
- Persistent reservoirs of non-replicating HIV present a major barrier to curing HIV infection.
- Identifying and eliminating these latent reservoirs is crucial for achieving a cure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review strategies for achieving a cure for HIV infection.
- To discuss the role of antiretroviral drugs in viral suppression.
- To highlight the importance of targeting latent HIV reservoirs.
Main Methods:
- Discussion of the high antiviral activity of antiretroviral drugs.
- Introduction of a novel 'inhibitory potential' index for drug evaluation.
- Overview of strategies for identifying and eliminating latent HIV reservoirs.
Main Results:
- Antiretroviral drugs demonstrate significant antiviral activity, aiding in viral replication suppression.
- The 'inhibitory potential' index offers a method for rational selection of suppressive HIV therapy.
- At least two stable reservoirs of latently infected cells have been identified.
Conclusions:
- A cure for HIV requires stopping replication, identifying reservoirs, and eliminating them.
- Novel drug indices and reservoir-targeting compounds are essential for developing curative strategies.
- Continued research into latent HIV reservoirs and reactivation methods is critical for an HIV cure.
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