Towards Multidisciplinary HIV-Cure Research: Integrating Social Science with Biomedical Research

The quest for a cure for HIV remains a timely and key challenge for the HIV research community. Despite significant scientific advances, current HIV therapy regimens do not completely eliminate the negative impact of HIV on the immune system; and the economic impact of treating all people infected with HIV globally, for the duration of their lifetimes, presents significant challenges. This article discusses, from a multidisciplinary approach, critical social, behavioral, ethical, and economic issues permeating the HIV-cure research agenda. As part of a search for an HIV cure, both the perspective of patients/participants and clinical researchers should be taken into account. In addition, continued efforts should be made to involve and educate the broader community.

TrendsHIV-cure research remains a timely challenge due to the inability of treatment to eliminate the negative impact of HIV on the immune system and the economic impact of lifetime treatment.Two definitions of an HIV cure are emerging: complete elimination (eradication) of HIV from the body, and viral control (remission) below plasma detection without antiretroviral therapy.The planning phase for clinical studies presents an opportunity to understand the perspectives and preferences of study participants, clinical researchers, stakeholders, and the general community.More research is needed, but early findings from social science studies investigating the perspectives of people living with HIV suggest a desire to eliminate HIV transmission and a willingness to participate in a range of trial designs for both altruistic reasons and out of hope for personal benefit.