Possible to cure 1 in 10 HIV cases?

[bb1991]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21783945

Interesting news article...

Researchers in France think it's possible to effectively cure 1 in 10 HIV cases using strong rapid treatment within 10 weeks of infection. They take the meds for up to 3 years and that's it.

It doesn't get rid of the virus but makes it inactive. I guess it lies dormant in the body, like other viruses like Chickenpox and HPV etc.

Any thoughts?

It raised an interesting thought in my mind...

You have to be treated within 10 weeks to be "cured"... So sometime in the future (the odds of being "cured" would obviously have to be much better than 1 in 10) it could theoretically be better to bug-chase, catch it and get it treated than to try and avoid HIV when barebacking.

It could almost be like chickenpox... Everyone says Chicken pox is something "you only catch once"; but it's not true, the Virus that causes Chickenpox lies dormant in the body for the rest of your life, usually doesn't cause problems or require treatment.... HIV could be the same.

-few years away from that though

[not_sure_bb]

if true it will increase the amount of guys getting tested and you will see more frequent testing which is good as well

[justabitnastycub]

I find it very possible, even more so in the way you put it, I think it would mean that the brotherhood of the biohazard could grow even more

[TigerMilner]

My immunologist told me about this last year when I was sick. Not the 10 week part, he said six months. Has to be before the virus gets into the latent cells where it hides and replicates. That is why I was on so much medication the first 9 months. Hit it hard and hit it early.

[NastyRigPig]

My understanding is that if you've been poz longer term, your antibodies in your blood and other fluids may beundetectable, however, if there were a sample of your bone marrow, it'd show the virus active there. This newborn baby that was born to an HIV mother who was treated heavily (and thought to be the first cured patient) is going to be an interesting case for the medical community.

It will also be an interesting case for medical ethicists, as how much testing do you want to put a kid through?