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HIV/AIDS cure research received additional $1.4M funding to accelerate the eradication of world's most deadly epidemic of the era. The Foundation for AIDS Research announced a new round of grants through its amfAR Research Consortium on HIV Eradication.

New Funding for HIV/AIDS Eradication

A total amount of $1.4 million from amfAR Research Consortium or ARCHE program granted support to four teams of scientists working at leading research institutions around the world, battling the AIDS epidemic caused by the Human Immuno-Deficiency virus or HIV.

"Through ARCHE, amfAR leverages the expertise and innovation of distinguished scientists from across the globe to advance cure-focused research. Some of the most important recent advances in HIV research are the result of strategic collaborations among amfAR-funded scientists and are a testament to the success of our cooperative approach to research," said by amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost.

Notable Progress in HIV-Cure Research

Recently, HIV-Cure research advanced due to several efforts and new discoveries on how to treat the virus. ARCHE grantees Dr. Deborah Persaud of Johns Hopkins University and Dr. Katherine Luzuriaga of the University of Massachusetts described the successful of Mississippi child who was diagnosed then later confirmed to be HIV-free.

"The child's paediatrician in Mississippi was aware of the work we were doing and quickly notified our team as soon as this young patient's case came to her attention," said by amfAR vice president and director of research, Dr. Rowena Johnston.

In July 2013, Dr. Timothy Henrich of Harvard Medical School became another ARCHE grantee after reporting a case of two HIV-positive patients who showed no traces of HIV after following stem-cell transplants.

"These findings clearly provided important new information that might well alter the current thinking about HIV and gene therapy. While stem-cell transplantation is not a viable option for people with HIV on a broad scale because of its costs and complexity, these new cases could lead us to new approaches to treating and ultimately even eradicating HIV," further comments of Mr. Frost.

Dr. Nicolas Chomont of the Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute in Port St. Lucie, Florida received grants to study HIV persistence in T-cell during antiretroviral therapy. The research will specifically investigate the subsets of CD4+ T-memory cells which are HIV reservoir and the roles they play as potential target for a cure.

All grants for 2013 enables researchers from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Thailand and Australia to collaborate on studies exploring all potential methods, strategies and techniques for eliminating HIV infection worldwide.