NIH study supports use of short-term HIV treatment interruption in clinical trials

HIV patients who suspend daily antiretroviral therapy (ART) in order to participate in clinical trials will inevitably experience viral load rebound and expansion of the HIV reservoir, but NIH researchers say the effects are only temporary. Their study centered on blood samples from 10 volunteers who agreed to analytical treatment interruption (ATI) in order to accommodate research on interventions aimed at achieving sustained HIV remission without ART. Each participant returned to his or her normal ART regimen 22–115 days later. During treatment hiatus, the team from NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) noted, viral load increased and HIV reservoirs expanded as expected. However, 6–12 months after re-initiating ART, both metrics returned to pre-ATI levels. The NIAID team concludes that a temporary discontinuation of ART under the watchful eye of trial researchers does not cause irreversible clinical damage to the patient. However, they add, bigger studies that do not involve interventional drugs are needed to verify and build on their findings. The new research is published in PLOS Pathogens.