Category: Elite controllers
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One of the challenges in HIV cure research is developing methods for finding extremely low levels of replication-competent virus. For example, there have been three cases where individuals were considered possibly cured of HIV because the virus could not be detected even though ART had been stopped (the Mississippi baby and two Boston patients), but…
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Research has documented that HIV infection is associated with significantly increased scarring damage to lymphoid tissue, termed fibrosis. Fibrosis can be quantified by measuring the deposition of collagen, and the amount of lymphoid tissue fibrosis in HIV-positive people has been shown to correlate directly with CD4 T cell depletion. A paper published toward the end…
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In addition to studies covered in prior posts (a possible second pediatric cure case, Sangamo’s gene therapy and limitations of latency-reversing agents), CROI 2014 featured a smorgasbord of presentations related to pathogenesis and cure research. Webcasts of all conference sessions are online, and many posters are now available in PDF format. Brief summaries of some notable studies are…
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Elite controller is a term applied to the rare group of HIV-positive individuals who maintain undetectable viral loads in the absence of any treatment. The precise criteria for defining elite controllers often varies from study to study, particularly when it comes to the duration of viral load control. A research group based in the UK…
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A number of studies have investigated whether control of HIV replication in the absence of treatment (referred to as elite control if viral load is <50 copies and viremic control if <2,000) is associated with having CD4 T cells that are intrinsically resistant to infection. Results to date have shown that elite and viremic controllers…
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A new study published online in Science Express last week reports a breakthrough in understanding the association between particular immune response genes and the ability of some individuals to control HIV replication without treatment. The research was conducted through the International HIV Controllers Study, a huge collaborative effort initiated by Bruce Walker from the Ragon…
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Many lines of evidence indicate that CD8 T cells targeting HIV play a key role in suppressing viral replication in individuals who maintain persistently low viral loads in the absence of treatment (typically dubbed “elite controllers” if the viral load is <50 copies/mL and “viremic controllers” if the viral load is <2,000 copies/mL). The main…
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I've written a fair amount on the blog about research into elite control of HIV infection. PBS Newshour has posted a short video featuring a participant in these studies, Bob Hoff. In addition to highlighting the dedication of many individuals to contributing to science, the interview offers a grim reminder of the toll HIV infection…
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Among the more consistent correlates of immunological control of HIV replication is the presence of polyfunctional HIV-specific CD4 T cells that can proliferate vigorously in response to viral antigens, particularly those from the Gag protein. Although there are examples of controllers who lack these responses, they are found in the majority of individuals studied (with a recent…