HIV is Incurable

HIV Virus from Ajcann

HIV/AIDS

Unit 2 Project

By: William Hargett

Growing up, I barely even knew what HIV/AIDS was until I started following sports and saw Erwin “Magic” Johnson on television. Upon listening to him analyze and commentate basketball games I began to truly enjoy the hall of fame member’s basketball expertise. As I began to follow sports more in general, particularly Magic, I started to get a better idea of what his condition is, the symptoms it presents, and the monetary demands it requires to keep under wraps. From that point forward, Magic Johnson became the face that I always thought of when I heard HIV/AIDS mentioned. For this post, I will be discussing HIV/AIDS in detail, specifically why a cure for the virus is not plausible. Research methods and medications have developed tremendously over the last couple of decades to help minimize the effects of HIV. Unfortunately, a cure that will completely rid the virus from the body will never exist.

HIV/AIDS is an immune system related virus that targets T cells (Hill). Upon targeting the T cells, the immune system will slowly begin to stop working if medications are not used immediately. The body is left in a very fragile state in which even some of the smallest illnesses can be very damaging and sometimes even fatal. Worldwide, 35 million people are infected with the virus (Cummins). The most common ways in which HIV is transmitted is by sharing needles with an infected person or having unprotected sex with an infected person (HIV).

A main component of why HIV/AIDS is incurable is due to the sneakiness of the virus in the body. Cummins and Bradley report that “HIV is incurable because of the presence of a latent viral reservoir.” The source is referencing that a main part of why HIV is so tricky to cure is because it has late triggers that might seem dormant, but could become active at any time. US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Anthony Fauci stated that “It might not ever be possible to completely eradicate the virus from the body, even though people are doing well.” This unknown of when the virus could suddenly pop back up in a person’s body when they are thought to be cleared is a huge puzzler for researchers. Additionally, a more recent study depicts “that even in such non-infectious patients the virus is still lurking in gut tissues and still infecting other immune cells in the blood” (Hopkin). A prime example of the unknown and unpredictable capabilities of the virus is of a young infant in Mississippi. A toddler, who was infected at birth, was cleared of the virus by doctors. This story made a huge impact in the media and provided a lot of support and optimism for the HIV/AIDS cure movement. Unfortunately, the infant was found again positive for the disease just over two years later. A very similar instance occurred with two HIV positive men studied by researchers in Boston. In July 2013, the two previously HIV positive men were seen by doctors as no longer HIV positive. By December of that same year, the virus had reappeared in the two men (Hill). Hopkin also continually stresses the sneakiness of the disease when he states “Even the best drugs currently available cannot weed out HIV from all of its hiding places within the body, according to a new study of HIV patients in the United States.” He also points out that HIV is known to be “gut-associated lymphoid tissue,” which means that the gut is a typical place for the virus to hide and remain undetected by doctors. Overall, the HIV virus is just too sneaky to completely destroy as not all infected cells are always detected, as some tend to slip through and remain undetected, which means that they cannot be destroyed (Cummins).

For scientists to get the monetary support that they predict that they would need to find a cure, there would need to be a very significant infusion of funds made into HIV research. In the nature.com editorial, it is referenced that if the plan to cure HIV/AIDS by 2030 is to be reached, than major sums of money need to be allotted/donated for use on this research. Today, nineteen million dollars a year is used on this research. The scientist suggest that thirty-six million dollars a year is necessary for the 2030 goal to be even considered (HIV). Along similar lines monetarily speaking, quality HIV treatment is very expensive for individuals in general, as less than one-fourth of HIV/AIDS patients receive the cART treatments that they need (Cummins).

Scientists searching for a cure by: NIAID

Over the last 30 years, scientists have created over twenty-five drugs to be used against HIV, with AZT being the first (HIV). The most effective treatment for HIV, is for patients to use antiretroviral medications immediately upon diagnosis (HIV). According to Hopkin, the ART treatment “reduces viruses in blood plasma” (Hopkin). Part of why HIV is so hard to counteract and defeat is because of its genetic diversity. According to Desrosiers, the HIV virus has the ability “to replicate unrelentingly despite everything the immune system can throw at it.” Overall, there are two types of researchers that work with the HIV virus. There is a group that will continue to make trials on how to defeat HIV no matter how probable the success rate is, and there is a group that believes researchers should get back to the basics of the disease and have basic research completed before attempting new trials (Vaccines).

Works Cited

Cummins, Nathan W., and Andrew D. Badley. "Can HIV Be Cured and Should We Try?" ProQuest. June 1, 2015. Accessed September 22, 2015.

Hill, Alison. "Why There's No HIV Cure Yet." PBS. August 27, 2014. Accessed September 24, 2015.

"HIV Transmission." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. January 16, 2015. Accessed October 4, 2015.

Hopkin, Michael. "HIV Can 'never Be Cured'" Nature.com. February 14, 2008. Accessed September 23, 2015.

"The HIV Epidemic Can Be Stopped." Nature.com. July 7, 2015. Accessed September 24, 2015.

"Vaccines - Why Is It so Hard to Make a Vaccine against HIV?" HIV & AIDS Information ::. Accessed September 24, 2015.