Challenges in the therapy of HIV infection

Drugs that inhibit human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication have been shown to have clinical utility in patients with HIV infection. However, the immunological improvement induced by available anti-HIV therapies in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is incomplete and transient. Explanations for this may include immunological barriers to complete reconstitution, low therapeutic indices of the available drugs, and the development of viral resistance. An understanding of these processes, as discussed here by Robert Yarchoan and colleagues, may provide important leads for the development of improved therapy for AIDS.