Elite controllers
From the onset of HIV and AIDS in the early 1980s, it was noticeable that some people with HIV developed AIDS very quickly and died, while others continued to live good healthy lives for years. What was the difference?
Some people had the CCR5-delta- 32 mutation, which allowed them to live longer, but it turned out that was not the whole story. There were also people who didn’t have this mutation but managed to suppress the virus for years without HIV treatment. We call these people ‘elite controllers’.
0.5% of people with HIV are elite controllers. Scientists, doctors and researchers do not yet know exactly why these people are able to suppress the virus themselves for longer periods of time.
Two women who were elite controllers have now been declared ‘cured’ by their doctors. Researchers observed that the DNA of the virus had ended up in an inactive part of their DNA, preventing the infection from returning.
0.5% of people with HIV are elite controllers. Scientists, doctors and researchers do not yet know exactly why these people are able to suppress the virus themselves for longer periods of time.
Two women who were elite controllers have now been declared ‘cured’ by their doctors. Researchers observed that the DNA of the virus had ended up in an inactive part of their DNA, preventing the infection from returning.