The mean frequency of macrophages containing integrated HIV-1 DNA was 54 cells per million. Serial tonsil biopsies from ten patients treated with triple therapy showed that the amount of HIV-1 virus dropped rapidly. Comment All of this is exciting stuff. If the fight against HIV and AIDS has seemed in the past to be like trench warfare, with every yard being hard fought, the new combination of effective tests for viral load and the advent of protease inhibitors seems like a cavalry charge. Ground is being gained, but the battle, let alone the war, is far from over.
Many challenges remain.
Perhaps the most important is drug resistance in viruses, and the need to ensure compliance with therapy. The other is cost. We have to wait for more information. But there are signposts that can help us look ahead. For instance, the balance of costs to society of a young man or woman in employment paying taxes becoming ill and unemployed, not paying taxes, and consuming healthcare will likely favour keeping them healthy.