In the study, SIV-infected rhesus macaques were treated with an antiretroviral drug for 90 days and in addition they were treated with a specific antibody for 23 weeks. After finishing this therapy, all macaques showed sustained control of the infection as almost no SI viruses could be detected in the blood and gastro-intestinal tissues. The CD4+ T cells that are essential for the immune system were present in sufficient numbers in these tissues. Two years after finishing the treatment the viral load remained low, the immune system intact, and the rhesus macaques healthy. The treatment strategy thus offers a new and promising approach to the therapy of HIV infections in humans (Science).
Antiretroviral therapy is currently the most frequently used treatment of HIV infections.