Scientists have found HIV to be a wily adversary because the virus attacks immune cells, making it hard to reach. All the drugs now on the market attack HIV while it is in an active, replicating phase. Interleukin-2 is a cytokine or signaling chemical used by the immune system. The drug cocktails are similar to chemotherapy for cancer patients. While remarkably effective, they're also highly toxic and can cause horrible side effects.
Patients are often nauseous and exhausted, and their cholesterol levels can soar.
So the next step for researchers is to take the test patients off the drugs to see how they do. The researchers said that interleukin-2 does not completely solve the problem of HIV reservoirs. The virus is also believed to hide in the brain and in other immune cells known as macrophages, as well as elsewhere in the body. CNN Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and Reuters contributed to this report. All Rights Reserved.