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HIV Cure Information

There is no cure for HIV, and any treatment claiming to do so cannot deliver on its promise. However, improvements in treatment have extended the length and quality of the lives of those living with HIV, and new research could one day lead to a vaccine, and possibly a cure for patients already infected with the virus.

  1. International Vaccine Groups

    • International organizations are working to concentrate funding and other resources for scientists engaged in HIV vaccine research. These organizations include HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) and Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise. Because it is difficult to eradicate viral disease, a vaccine for HIV is likely to be the next major advance in controlling the virus.

    Targeting HIV's Weak Point

    • Drs. Sudhir Paul and Miguel Escobar of the University of Texas Medical School at Houston announced the finding of an immutable (unchanging) part of HIV's structure. HIV mutates quickly, but Paul and Escobar report that part of the virus' outermost layer does not change, enabling researchers to develop medicines and possibly a vaccine that will work against almost all strains of HIV. However, as with other findings, it will be a long time before a vaccine can be developed.

    Canadian Vaccine

    • A team of researchers at the University of Western Ontario has submitted an HIV vaccine to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for human trials. The vaccine was submitted in mid-2009, but it may be a years before the vaccine is approved for testing in humans and still more time before any results are published. It has already been animal-tested and no adverse effects were seen in animal trials.

    German Team

    • Researchers led by Indrani Sarkar from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, Germany, announced in 2007 the development of an enzyme that can remove HIV from infected cells. More research and development is necessary before an enzyme-related treatment can be made available.

    Australian Team

    • Infectious diseases expert Sharon Lewin said in a 2009 Radio Australia interview that continuing research on inactive CD4 T-cells that are infected by HIV could lead to a cure. Advances in drug treatment could force HIV out of cells while antiretroviral treatments would prevent the virus from infecting other cells.

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