Despite significant advances in HIV treatment, complete eradication remains a major challenge for medical science. A new report in Medical Xpress indicates that viral reservoirs are the main obstacle in achieving a definitive HIV cure.
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can reduce HIV viral load in blood to undetectable levels and provide long, healthy lives for those affected. However, HIV has the ability to hide in cellular reservoirs within the body, where it remains protected from both the immune system and medications.
These reservoirs consist of HIV-infected cells that do not actively produce virus and consequently cannot be detected and destroyed by the immune system or antiretroviral drugs. If treatment is discontinued, the virus can reactivate from these reservoirs and cause infection relapse.
Researchers are investigating various strategies to target these viral reservoirs. One strategy is “Shock and Kill,” which works by activating latent HIV and then destroying it. Another method, “Block and Lock,” aims to keep the virus permanently inactive in its reservoirs.
Despite extensive efforts, no cure for complete HIV eradication exists yet. Eliminating these viral reservoirs is key to finding a definitive HIV cure, and continued research in this area appears essential for ultimately conquering this virus.