title: HIV persistence and the prospect of long-term drug-free remissions for HIV-infected individuals.
abstract: HIV infection can persist in spite of efficacious antiretroviral therapies. Although incomplete inhibition of viral replication may contribute to this phenomenon, this is largely due to the early establishment of a stable reservoir of latently infected cells. Thus, life-long antiviral therapy may be needed to control HIV. Such therapy is prone to drug resistance and cumulative side effects and is an unbearable financial burden for regions of the world hit hardest by the epidemic. This review discusses our current understanding of HIV persistence and the limitations of potential approaches to eradicate the virus and accordingly pleads for a joint multidisciplinary effort toward two highly related goals: the development of an HIV prophylactic vaccine and the achievement of long-term drug-free remissions in HIV-infected individuals.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences and Frontiers-in-Genetics Program, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. Didier.trono@epfl.ch
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Trono
authors.forename: Carine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Van Lint
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rouzioux
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Verdin
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barré-Sinoussi
authors.forename: Tae-Wook
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chomont
mesh_terms: D016915:AIDS Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D006678:HIV / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D013997:Time Factors; D014766:Viremia; D017735:Virus Latency; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D016915:AIDS Vaccines; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents