Abstract

AIDS: When HIV is controlled with antiretrovirals, immunity to other infections often returns. Sometimes patients can stop prophylactic treatment, and sometimes opportunistic infections can clear up without treatment. However, immunity to HIV itself does not return, or returns very slowly, even when HIV has been suppressed for years with drug therapy. Researchers do not know why HIV immunity reacts differently, but several possible approaches to restoring HIV-specific immunity are being researched. One approach involves a therapeutic vaccination while the virus is well suppressed with antiretrovirals. The other approach is beginning HIV treatment very early, before the virus begins destroying the cells that recognize it. Several studies are discussed.