Guys,

This may sound controversial and I apologize in advance. But a recent conversation I had with with an AIDS researcher at the National Institutes of Health (the top US health research organization) made me think about our project. I believe we are looking for most effective TREATMENT, rather than a CURE.

Essentially, the researcher said that an effective vaccine against HIV is hard to produce as the virus mutates rapidly and hides. They had done experiments with an "HIV cousin" (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus - SIV) in monkeys and found out that the virus "hides" in all sorts of places - optic nerves, etc - and lays "dormant".

To confirm that, scientists recently discovered that HIV "hides" in the intestinal tract and that drugs do not get there very effectively.

Our goal is to find a medicine that most effectively "disrupts" the HIV virus. Wouldn't the real CURE be a combination of target and delivery of the medicine. Current medical treatments target only viruses that are in the bloodstream. (correct me if I am wrong)
So, don't we need to find a way to "hunt out" the HIV virus wherever it is hiding and destroy it?