Grant: Project Grant

Contrary to common belief, AIDS and HIV infection remains a significant problem for society. Decades of extensive research has produced combinations of drugs that can stop growth of the virus and suppress the disease we call AIDS. But, unfortunately, these drugs are only a short-term solution, because they do not cure the infection, and they are unaffordable for most infected people, particularly in the developing world. People living with HIV, taking these current drugs, still have the virus in their body because they have cells wherein the virus is hiding, known as latency, and consequently must continue their medication throughout the remainder of their lives. Unfortunately, many people become intolerant towards treatment after some time, and also strains of HIV are beginning to emerge that are resistant to the current drugs. Consequently, in order to prevent a resurgence of an uncontrollable HIV/AIDS epidemic it is necessary that new treatments be developed that can eliminate latent virus from patients on therapy. The research we describe in this proposal is designed to develop new classes of drugs that can completely eliminate HIV from infected people, with the goal of ultimately providing a cure for AIDS.