Abstract
With over 2 million annual new infections of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1, and more than 30 million HIV-1 infected people around the globe, the HIV-1 pandemic has continued to remain a front burner in the medical research community and an important public health debate. Till date, there is still no cure or vaccine for HIV-1 infection. Though current antiretroviral therapy (ART) is potent enough to reduce viral load of the infection to below detectable limits (< 50 copies/ml), antiretroviral therapy (ART) still lacks the capacity to cure or eradicate HIV-1. This inability of ART to either cure or eradicate HIV-1 is largely attributable to the non-functionality of ART to reach some perceived cellular and anatomical reservoir sites - where latent HIV-1 is lurking and getting protection from both host immunological response and the pharmacological attack of potent ART.
Highlights
We reviewed the concept of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 reservoir and cure, non human primate (NHP) models for HIV-1-related research, latency reversing agents (LRAs) and the need for Africa to resuscitate and sustain HIV-1-related research, especially those targeted at finding a cure for HIV-1, Citation: Ejikeugwu C, Eze P, Iroha I, Esimone C, Adikwu M, et al (2018) Understanding the Facts and Minding the Gap of (HIV-1/HIV-2) Primate Research and Infectious Disease Laboratories in Africa
Since HIV-1 has a very short half-life in the blood plasma, why is HIV infection still not curable by HAART or the currently used combination antiretroviral therapy? It is because of this question that we are meant to believe in part, that latent HIV-1 still persists in some cells, tissues and organs of the body even in the face of potent ART; while waiting for opportunity to breakout from their hiding and initiate new infections in already infected individuals
This review is only but a brief on the subject of HIV-1 reservoir and cure research strategies and why Africa as an important beneficiary of the HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) disease burden must bridge the lacuna of HIV/AIDS related research in the region
Summary
We reviewed the concept of HIV-1 reservoir and cure, non human primate (NHP) models for HIV-1-related research, LRAs and the need for Africa to resuscitate and sustain HIV-1-related research, especially those targeted at finding a cure for HIV-1, Citation: Ejikeugwu C, Eze P, Iroha I, Esimone C, Adikwu M, et al (2018) Understanding the Facts and Minding the Gap of (HIV-1/HIV-2) Primate Research and Infectious Disease Laboratories in Africa. Strategy as well as the immunological and anatomical dispositions of HIV-1 reservoir cells and tissues in the already infected hosts will help us to achieve a possible remission of the virus from the body of PLHA.
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