HIV Cure Research Takes Center Stage

One of the most notable presentations at this year's International AIDS Conference was a report on HIV reservoirs in two patients who had undergone reduced-intensity allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) for treatment of hematologic malignancies [Henrich TJ et al. Abstract THAA0101]. Prior to transplantation, HIV DNA could be detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from both patients; however, 8 to 17 months following the transplantations, HIV could no longer be detected in the blood. Consistent with the reduction in the amount of viral antigen, HIV antibody levels also declined. Of note, following alloSCT, both patients developed graft-versus-host disease and required immunosuppressive therapy.