HIV Treatment Raises Cure Hopes

A strategy to awaken dormant HIV gives a glimmer of hope for patients to get off the lifelong regimen of meds and consider themselves cured. Some experts warn it's doubtful the treatment will be that effective.

While the virus poses no threat in its resting state, the sleeping cells sporadically wake up, reactivating the virus and causing it to multiply. Patients must continue to take medications for the rest of their lives so they can fight the virus when it comes out of the reawakened cells. Only if every last infected dormant cell is wiped out -- or the virus purged from these cells -- can patients stop taking medication and be virus-free, experts say. ...

Source: Wired News