title: HIV reservoirs as obstacles and opportunities for an HIV cure.
abstract: The persistence of HIV reservoirs remains a formidable obstacle to achieving sustained virologic remission in HIV-infected individuals after antiretroviral therapy (ART) is discontinued, even if plasma viremia has been successfully suppressed for prolonged periods of time. Numerous approaches aimed at eradicating the virus, as well as maintaining its prolonged suppression in the absence of ART, have had little success. A better understanding of the pathophysiologic nature of HIV reservoirs and the impact of various interventions on their persistence is essential for the development of successful therapeutic strategies against HIV or the long-term control of infection. Here, we discuss the persistent HIV reservoir as a barrier to cure as well as the current therapeutic strategies aimed at eliminating or controlling the virus in the absence of ART.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Tae-Wook
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moir
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Anthony S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Fauci
mesh_terms: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000821:virology*; D006678:HIV / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D019562:Viral Load / Q000187:drug effects; D014775:Virus Activation; D017735:Virus Latency
chemical_list: D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents