Elite control of HIV: is this the right model for a functional cure? Trends Microbiol 2015 Feb;23(2):71-5
Date
12/10/2014Pubmed ID
25487109DOI
10.1016/j.tim.2014.11.003Scopus ID
2-s2.0-84964290941 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 23 CitationsAbstract
A cure for HIV is still greatly needed and has become a global research priority. A unique subset of HIV-infected individuals who spontaneously control HIV exists, and these are known as 'elite controllers'. They may represent a natural model for a 'functional cure' in which there is long term control of viral replication and remission from symptoms of HIV infection in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. However, controllers have evidence of ongoing inflammation, CD4(+) T cell depletion, and perhaps even inflammation-associated cardiovascular disease, suggesting that this natural long term virologic control may be coming at an immunologic and clinical cost. These individuals may continue to provide continued insights into mechanisms of host control; however, they may not represent the best model of a functional cure, if we believe that a cure should require a disease-free (and not just a treatment-free) state.
Author List
Cockerham LR, Hatano HAuthor
Leslie Cockerham MD Associate Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
CD4-Positive T-LymphocytesCD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes
HIV
HIV Infections
HIV Long-Term Survivors
Humans
Inflammation
Virus Replication
