Searching for a cure for HIV and AIDS

Known as the “African CROI” the INTEREST Conference brings together scientists involved in HIV treatment, pathogenesis, and prevention research in Africa to share pivotal findings, promote collaboration, and transfer experiences across several fields and many continents.

The Southern African HIV Clinicians Society’s biannual conference, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 24-27 October 2018, focused on clinical content for HIV and TB health care workers in the region and featured a wide range of topics, 

The HIV Prevention Research Advocacy Fellows Program pairs emerging leaders in advocacy and activism with existing organizations to develop and execute creative, context-specific projects focused on HIV prevention research.

One study whose results were eagerly awaited at the 22nd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2018) was the RIVER study.

HIV infection continues to pose a critical risk to health in many countries. UNAIDS estimates that as of 2016 the total HIV-infected population was 36.7 million, including 1.8 million people newly infected that year.

The following abstract was presented as part of a poster dicussion session on viral reservoirs at the 9th IAS Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2017).

To mark the 9th IAS Conference on HIV Science, the Lancet journals have made a selection of content free that reflects some of the breadth and diversity of clinical, epidemiological, and operational HIV research produced by the tireless global HIV community.

HIV eradication and remission research has largely taken place in high-income countries. In low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), there may be factors that have a substantial impact on the size of the latent HIV reservoir and the immunological response to infection.

The HIV pandemic continues to impose enormous morbidity, mortality, and economic burdens across the globe. Simultaneously, innovations in antiretroviral therapy, diagnostic approaches, and vaccine development are providing novel tools for treatment-as-prevention and prophylaxis.

Viral load and viral DNA fall rapidly in infants who begin antiretroviral therapy (ART) within days of birth, two South African studies have found, showing the potential for clearing the reservoir of HIV-infected cells – but infants with such a dramatic response to treatment may be a minority.