HIV Cure Annotated Bibliography

Chun, Tae-Wook, Susan Moir, and Anthony S. Fauci. "HIV Reservoirs as Obstacles and Opportunities for an HIV Cure." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 19 May 2015. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.

The author claims that the HIV reservoir is the primary obstacle when it comes to the hopes of eliminating the virus completely. These reservoirs also pose a problem for therapeutic methods of attaining a cure. Currently the main combatant against the HIV virus is the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART), however while it does extend lifespan it is required that the patients will need life-long treatment. The use of ART has been a huge step towards finding the cure to HIV it is not the most ideal due to the problems that, the use of these various medicine cocktails in ART are toxic and affect the users in life-long therapy, and the HIV reservoirs persistence.

Fauci, Anthony S. "Feasibility and Discovery of an HIV Cure." JAMA Network. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 23 July 2014. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.

The author claims that finding an alternative method of treatment is imperative if we hope to find a cure. Similarly, to the previous source, the author states that due to the toxicity and necessity of life-long treatment when using ART that an alternative method is required. This author references some experimental procedures that have been used in the past and so far have seemed to eradicate the virus. However, the author does state that the experiment used in this case has a very high mortality and while the patient is currently HIV free, the person did end up with leukemia. All in all, this source says that alternative methods are feasible, but more testing and research is needed to be able to implement these discoveries effectively.

Hladik, Florian. "A New Hypothesis on HIV Cure." F1000Research. F1000Research, 24 Mar. 2015. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.

This author claims that nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) could possibly prevent the HIV cure. This is because these NRTIs promote survival of the integrated provirus. NRTIs are in the antiretroviral therapy treatments that people receive, so like the previous authors, this one claims that ART is no longer the hope for the cure, but rather it is possibly only prolonging the virus. ART is extremely effective at containing the virus however it has shown that these NRTIs within the ART may be increasing the persistence of the cells which is one of the main obstacles. The author also states that the only patient ever cured of HIV discontinued treatments before beginning other antiviral therapies. In conclusion the author says that finding a different way to contain HIV and thereby suppressing it with a method that does not contain NRTIs could be the cure we have been looking for.

Ledford, Heidi. "HIV Rebound Dashes Hope of 'Mississippi Baby' Cure." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 10 July 2014. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.

This article is mainly informative however an argument can be found within. The author is reporting on the condition of what is a now four-year-old girl in Mississippi who was previously thought to have been cured of HIV. She received ART starting at 30 hours and it was discontinued at 18 months. She then remained off these drugs for 27 months with no signs of the virus. However, she has no rebounded and doctors are curious as to why. A clinical trial was beginning to start up where they would see if this method would work again, however not that she has rebounded it may possibly be disbanded before any patients participate. Apparently the Mississippi girl’s spinal fluid and tissue samples were never looked at within those 72 months so it is up for debate on whether this is something that needs to be implemented in this trial or if it needs to be discontinued all together. The author seems to side with the idea early and aggressive treatments should be continued.

"The HIV Epidemic Can Be Stopped." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, 7 July 2015. Web. 25 Sept. 2015.

This author takes a different viewpoint than every other article found and its information will serve as a counter example so I can inform people of all sides of the topic. This author says that ART is the way to the cure and currently the United Nations is looking at revising its policy in order to allow ART as soon as someone tests positive for the virus. Here he states that if it were to start earlier then the disease could be managed. However, this article never does state that this is a cure but rather a stop to the epidemic. The hope here is that everyone infected can be treated to the point that the number of new infections and cases goes down to zero. Its not so much of a cure but as a preventative measure, preventing all new cases so when the old ones expire HIV/AIDS is no longer in the world.