This was the first consistent demonstration of post-treatment immune control in monkeys infected with SIV, without previous vaccination. Long-term post-treatment control of HIV has been reported in only a handful of people treated soon after infection. To learn more, check out these links.

Transient SIVmac remission induced by TLR7 agonist, reported at 2016 CROI conference

Immune control of SIVagm, no antiretroviral drugs necessary. Model of “elite controllers.”

Immune clearance of SIVmac; prior CMV-based vaccination necessary.

Post-treatment control of HIV – VISCONTI study. Roundup of HIV remission cases, from Treatment Action Group.“SIVmac infection of rhesus macaques (the most widely used animal model for AIDS research) is more difficult to control with ART than HIV-1 infection in humans, requiring complex combination therapies.” In the 2016 Science paper, ART consisted of emtricitabine, tenofovir and an integrase inhibitor L-870812.

Impact of early treatment. “Seeding of HIV in the gut may have long-lasting effects on the size of persistent viral reservoirs and may represent an important therapeutic target in eradication strategies.”

PET/CT imaging technique for visualizing SIV – 2015 Nature Methods paper.

2008 identification of α4β7 integrin’s role in HIV infection. Diagram from 2011 review explaining how it facilitates infection. 2011 JI paper on α4β7 antibody alone (no ART). 2014 Nature Medicine paper on α4β7 antibody prevention of transmission.

Possible mechanism of antibody action: 2016 poster at American Association of Immunologists meeting

Clinical trial of vedolizumab in HIV-positive individuals underway at NIAID.

Cost information on vedolizumab, FDA-approved in 2014 for inflammatory bowel diseases.