First Author Conversations

More than 40 million people are infected with HIV. While the rate of new infections has decreased, and effective antiretroviral drug therapy is available, resource-poor settings in regions of the developing may limit the access to lifesaving drugs. Hence, in the absence of drug therapy, HIV-infected individuals may die in a matter of 10 years or less.Despite tremendous efforts to develop a truly effective HIV vaccine and curative therapy, alternative approaches are being investigated.In this episode, we talk to Dr. Sebastian P. Fuchs and Dr. Jose M. Martinez-Navio from University of Miami who recently published a paper in the journal Immunity reporting a functional cure of a SHIV-infected monkey. Their approach involved adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated delivery of broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV. A one-time injection that leads to the production of antibodies is an alternative immunization approach where the anti-HIV immune response is "transported" to the individual.The authors also discuss