HIV for a Lifetime

HIV for a Lifetime

In the fight against HIV new drugs, called protease inhibitors and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, have brought hope to many infected persons. When combined with older drugs like AZT, these 'drug cocktails' are very effective in suppressing the amount of HIV virus in the body. However, new research suggests that even when suppressed to almost undetectable levels, the HIV virus remains in the body for a long time, perhaps even for life.

Scientists at the Johns Hopkins Moore HIV Clinic recently announced a study in which they followed approximately 35 patients with HIV for two years. The patients were all taking some form of a drug cocktail and had very low levels of detectable HIV in their blood.

The researchers found that the HIV virus is resilient. Even with undetectable amounts in the blood, the virus remains in the patients' bodies. The virus "hides" in a type of T cell in the immune system. When these T cells are inactive, the virus integrates itself into the cell's DNA making it extremely difficult to detect.

When the patient experiences an immune response, from a simple cold for instance, these T cells are activated. In the process, the HIV is activated as well, taking over the cellular production machinery and replicating itself millions of times.

The study illustrates that it is extremely important that people with HIV continue taking the HIV cocktail--perhaps for a lifetime. The drugs would counteract the produced virus. Without the cocktail, the patients would succumb to the deadly affects of AIDS.

Using sensitive cellular sorting techniques and a statistical projection model, scientists determined that the HIV virus could lay dormant for 60 years, perhaps more. In addition, the sorting techniques revealed that when the cocktail therapy is maintained, the level of dormant cells containing the HIV virus remains relatively stable.

Patients on the regimen have to be vigilant in taking their medicine. Some forms of the cocktail therapy require patients to take the medicines at strict times during the day and to make significant modifications to their diet.

Researchers admit that the long dormancy of the virus will make finding a cure for HIV that much more difficult.

What do you think? From an evolutionary standpoint, how did the virus develop this "hiding" mechanism? Will we ever find a cure, or will we simply "manage" the disease? Come over to the Biology Forum and share your thoughts, opinions, and feelings. 'Til next time...