Fourteen patients are 'long term controllers' of HIV

French researchers have found 14 adults – four women and 10 men – who have been managed to control their HIV, according to NPR. The results are similar to the "functional cure" of the Mississippi baby announced just weeks ago except that the adults do have HIV in their blood at low levels. These studies, which are scant so far, have found that early treatment is essential in controlling and curing HIV.

Instead of saying the adults are cured, researchers refer to them as "post-treatment HIV controllers". These patients, known as the VISCONTI Cohort, are said to be in "long term remission" of the disease. Similar to the Mississippi child, these French patients were given antiviral drugs within one and two months after they were infected with HIV.

What this means is that very early treatment prevents HIV from creating reservoirs of infected cells in the body. This "functional cure" means that replication of the virus is controlled as opposed to a "sterilizing cure" wherein all traces of HIV would be eliminated from the body.

Though there is some question as to whether the Mississippi child actually became infected with HIV or not, there is no question regarding these adults. They were all highly infected, with 12 of the 14 presenting with acute infection.

The patients were on antiretroviral drugs for varying lengths of times. The shortest time was a year, the longest was 7.6 years. They have been off treatments now for four to 10 years. Some patients decided to cease treatment. Others participated in a study that interrupted treatment.

The practical application of this method is still uncertain. Most patients don't know when they've contracted HIV. For this possible "functional cure" to work, patients must be treated within a couple of months. Researchers also need to figure out what sets these patients apart from others before advising people to stop taking their medicines.

Photo courtesy of Neeta Lind via Flickr.