July 18, 2011

IAS 2011: Building a Global Strategy Towards an HIV Cure

Leading scientists and research stakeholders are calling for accelerated research toward a cure for HIV, according to an International AIDS Society (IAS) statement. The Advisory Board of the IAS International Scientific Working Group released its "Rome Statement for an HIV Cure" during the IAS 2011 conference in Rome.

Recent advances have led to a resurgence of optimism about the prospect of a functional cure for HIV. A functional cure would not eliminate the virus from the body. It would permanently suppress viral replication and minimize viral reservoirs so that a patient's immune system would control HIV without antiretroviral medications.

To this end, the working group is developing a global research strategy-titled "Towards an HIV Cure"-focusing on the problems posed by HIV persistence in viral reservoirs. The strategy will be presented at the XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012) in Washington, DC, in 2012.

The Rome statement lists the following objectives as key to the strategy:

• Recognize the importance of developing a safe, accessible and scalable HIV cure as a therapeutic and preventive strategy against HIV infection and to help control the AIDS epidemic.
    
• Commit to stimulating international and multidisciplinary research collaborations in the field of HIV cure research.
    
• Encourage other stakeholders, international leaders and organizations to contribute to accelerating HIV cure research through their own initiatives and/or by endorsing this statement and supporting the alliance that the advisory board is building.

The working group is cochaired by Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, PhD, the IAS president-elect and 2008 Nobel Laureate for Medicine; and Steve Deeks, MD, of the University of California at San Francisco and Positive Health Program at San Francisco General Hospital.

The advisory board is cochaired by Barré-Sinoussi and Jack Whitescarver, PhD, associate director for AIDS research and director of the Office of AIDS Research at the National Institutes of Health.

To read the IAS statement, click here.

To read the Rome statement and to sign the statement of endorsement, click here.

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Previous Comments:

Brandon, N, Atlanta GA, 2011-08-27 18:46:06
This is good to hear. There should be a cure that will wipe the virus from the body bye now it is 2011 right? People that dont even have hiv should contribute towards finding a cure. The bottom line is this virus doesn't care who you are or where you came from; any one could catch HIV. There is a cure its just a matter of funding money for this cure to come out.

daniel santos, lisbon, 2011-07-25 08:54:02
Não entendo como pode demorar tanto tempo descobrir uma cura para o HIV ? Esta doença existe há demasiado tempo e já matou demasiadas pessoas

Jay, Charleston, 2011-07-23 00:49:47
I found out that I was Hiv positive last year and man that to date was the worst day of my life I look at things differently now, you only get one life and I guess I have to say i was reckless but for whats going on right now with science and research on the brink of a cure would be a miracle gift from god i wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy i lost my career over this i just pray that 30 years of this epidemic is enough because its really time for a much needed cure.

Liam, , 2011-07-21 15:46:05
Will it stop the spread of the disease will it mean you can spread the virus any more

Stephan, Las Vegas, 2011-07-20 06:26:17
Am I really the 1st to comment on this? What's wrong with us? Why aren't we rallying behind this most hopeful and significant development in the last 30 years of the HIV epidemic? Why do we let the Pharma industry and their workers in this community blind us from THIS - the long awaited CURE!? I am SO excited about this and am sure we ALL are. COMMENT and SPEAK UP if you're reading this - and do NOT continue to hide from supporting the CURE - it's for the good of YOU and all!

Steve Roth, Denver, 2011-07-19 02:59:52
Common Koch brothers, donate a billion or two to this cause!!