cells throughout the body are infected by SIV at the peak of infection, and most of these infected cells disappear within four days," they wrote. "Furthermore, our data demonstrate that the depletion of memory CD4 T-cells occurs to a similar extent in all tissues. As a consequence, over one-half of all memory CD4 T-cells in SIV-infected macaques are destroyed directly by viral infection during the acute phase -- an insult that certainly heralds subsequent immunodeficiency." This means any attempt to vaccinate against HIV or to provide efficient treatment must stop this process right away. Dr. Ashley Haase of the University of Minnesota Medical School and colleagues made similar findings. Not only does the virus directly kill the CD4 cells, they found, but it also causes them to them to commit cell suicide. There is no cure for HIV infection, which killed more than 3 million people globally last year and which infects 39 million people, according to the United Nations. Drug cocktails can control the infection but it comes back quickly if they are stopped. More than two dozen vaccines are being tested, but experts do not expect any of them to prevent HIV infection in substantial numbers of people. --SP 2347 Local Time 2047 GMT
