Stephen Dewhurst, Ph.D. and Linda Whetter, D.V.M., Ph.D.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and Cancer Center, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester NY

Received 2/21/97; Accepted 2/25/97; On-line 3/1/97

5. Perspective and Summary

Better understanding of the pathogenesis and viral dynamics of HIV-1 infection is likely to result in improvements in future antiviral therapy. Nonetheless, the past 12 to 18 months have perhaps represented the most optimistic period in AIDS research and treatment, and have led to speculation as to whether it may be possible to eradicate HIV-1 from an infected person through the long-term application of an effective antiretroviral regimen (94). These advances in HIV-1 therapy have also been paralleled by significant increases in our understanding of the basic biology of HIV-1. Most notable among these has been the identification of at least two HIV-1 entry cofactors (CCR5 and CXCR4) which are required for virus infection of T cells. Future efforts are likely to uncover additional entry cofactors, including the putative macrophage entry cofactor, and to lead to new approaches to antiviral therapy.