Even a Little Is Too Much — HIV Reservoirs and Eradication

The persistence of HIV in CD4 cells despite full virologic suppression in plasma renders the prospect of viral eradication highly unlikely, at least with present strategies. However, initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) very early during acute HIV infection limits the size of the viral reservoir, and some studies suggest that it may deplete the pool of HIV-infected CD4 cells over time. In this study, researchers further explore whether early, long-term administration of potent ART might eliminate viral reservoirs.

Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, the researchers measured genomic HIV DNA in highly purified CD4 cells obtained from 44 patients who had achieved long-term suppression on ART without any episodes of det…