The Dapivirine Vaginal Ring: Topical Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for Women
1. Introduction: A Topical Option for Women’s HIV Prevention HIV prevention has historically relied heavily on tools that are either…
Combination Antiretroviral Therapy: How HIV Became a Manageable Chronic Infection
1. Introduction: From Fatal Syndrome to Chronic Disease When the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was first characterized in the early…
Oral Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (TDF/FTC and TAF/FTC): Pharmacology, Landmark Trials, and Real-World Impact
1. Introduction: Preventing HIV Before Exposure Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is the use of antiretroviral medication by HIV-negative people before potential…
Genetically Modified CCR5 Cells: Lessons from the He Jiankui Case
1. Introduction: The Intersection of CRISPR, HIV, and the Human Germline The advent of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology precipitated a…
Shock and Kill vs Block and Lock: Two Strategies to Attack the Viral Reservoir
1. Introduction: The Barrier to an HIV Cure The advent of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has transformed HIV-1 infection from…
Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies (bNAbs): A New Weapon Against HIV
1. Introduction: The Paradigm Shift in HIV Immunology For decades, the development of an effective HIV-1 vaccine and curative therapeutics…
CRISPR-Cas9 Against HIV: Excising Viral DNA from the Genome of Infected Cells
1. Introduction: The Unmet Need for an HIV Cure Since the identification of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the…