Researchers are getting closer to understanding both the viral and human factors involved in being an HIV controller, according to a review on recent breakthroughs in the field. However, there are still a lot of unknowns, including which of these factors are most important in naturally controlling HIV.

“There are a lot of so-called ‘descriptive’ studies in HIV controllers: physicians and researchers observed different characteristics that are more frequent in these persons than in people who have a progressive infection with high amounts of virus in the absence of antiviral…

This article is the first in a four-part series that will investigate current research toward finding a cure for HIV, including advances, promising treatment strategies, and barriers to reaching a cure. Part 1 discusses general types of HIV cures. Part 2 discusses specific strategies for targeting latent HIV. Part 3 discusses gene therapy and therapeutic vaccines. Part 4 discusses barriers to obtaining a cure.

As researchers learn more about the workings of HIV and how it persists in the body even with antiretroviral therapy, scientists are increasingly…

Results from a recent French study indicate that HIV controllers with rarely or frequently detectable viral loads, known as “blips,” may experience a significant decline in CD4 cells compared to HIV controllers with undetectable viral loads. Additionally, this decline in CD4 cells can be associated with HIV disease progression and cancer development in HIV controllers.

HIV controllers are individuals infected with HIV whose immune systems are able to naturally control the virus, meaning they have low or undetectable viral loads (amount of HIV in the blood) without the use of…

Results from a recent small study indicate that people with HIV who start antiretroviral treatment early and take it consistently long-term have high immune system functionality and low residual virus levels that are similar to those in HIV controllers, also called long-term non-progressors.

The study authors stated that their results provide further evidence for the importance of early antiretroviral treatment. However, the results need to be confirmed by additional, larger studies on the immune function of long-term non-progressors versus people who start treatment early.

HIV controllers, also known as  long-term…

Results of a new study suggest that HIV controllers have unusually low levels of certain regulatory cells that normally suppress the immune system. This, in turn, may lead to a high level of general immune system activation, allowing them to control their HIV.

The researchers suggested that this high level of immune system activation may also be responsible for some of the inflammatory diseases that are more common in HIV controllers, such as thickening of the arteries and a depletion of CD4 (white blood) cells that can cause progression to…