Looking 4 Cure
GLOSSARY
Learn important terms from the HIV research world!
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🧬 Basic HIV & Body Terms
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus):
A virus that attacks the immune system and causes a lifelong (chronic) infection.
It is mainly transmitted through unprotected (penetrative) sex, sharing needles, blood exposure, or from mother to child during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding.
Immune System
The body’s defence system protects against infections like viruses and bacteria.
It is made up of different cells, tissues, and organs that work together to detect and fight threats.
Antibodies:
Proteins made by the immune system that recognise and block viruses or infected cells.
CD4 cell (T-helper cell):
A key immune cell that helps coordinate the body’s defence. HIV mainly infects and destroys CD4 cells, weakening the immune system over time.
CCR5:
A protein on the surface of some immune cells that acts like a “door handle” HIV uses to enter the cell. A small number of people (less than 1%) have a genetic mutation that makes this door harder or impossible for HIV to use.
ART (Antiretroviral Therapy):
A combination of medicines that stops HIV from multiplying. It does not cure HIV, but keeps the virus under control, allowing people to live long and healthy lives.
Viral Load:
The amount of HIV in the blood. It is used to monitor how active the virus is and how well the treatment is working.
U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable:
If someone takes ART consistently and their viral load becomes undetectable, they cannot pass HIV on through sex.
Retrovirus:
A type of virus (like HIV) that converts its genetic material into DNA and inserts it into human cells.
Cycle of HIV multiplying (viral replication cycle):
The process HIV uses to make copies of itself:
• Enters the cell
• Releases its genetic material
• Uses reverse transcriptase to convert RNA into DNA
• Integrates into the cell’s DNA
• Produces new virus parts
• Assembles and releases new viruses.
Each step is a potential target for HIV treatment.
PrEP:
Medicine taken by people without HIV to prevent HIV. Usually a pill or injection. Very effective when used correctly.
Lenacapavir:
A long-acting HIV drug that blocks the virus’s outer shell (capsid). Can be given as
a prevention injection (PrEP) every 6 months. Still very expensive and not available worldwide.
HIV Vaccine:
A vaccine that would train the immune system to fight and block HIV. Still in research. No fully effective vaccine exists.
🧩 Strategic Terms for Cure Research
Proof of Concept:
Early evidence that a strategy might work.
Translational research (“bench to bedside”):
Moving discoveries from the laboratory into real treatments for patients.
Scalability:
Whether a treatment or intervention can be expanded to reach many people.
Feasibility:
Whether something is practical and realistic to implement.
🧪 HIV Cure-related Research
HIV cure-related research:
includes all work aimed at either removing HIV from the body or controlling it without lifelong treatment. It involves:
• understanding how HIV hides (reservoir, latency)
• testing cure strategies
• clinical trials in people
• studying special cases (like elite controllers)
• community-based research, such as questionnaires and interviews, to understand people’s experiences with HIV care, stigma, and participation in research. This helps ensure that cure strategies are not only scientifically effective, but also accessible, acceptable, and relevant to the communities most affected.
Analytical Treatment Interruption (ATI):
A controlled pause of HIV treatment during a study to see if an intervention can control the virus without ART
HIV Reservoir:
Hidden HIV that stays “silent” inside certain cells. These reservoirs are the main reason HIV cannot currently be cured.
Latency:
A state where HIV is inside a cell but inactive. It does not produce new virus, which makes it invisible to both the immune system and treatment.
Viral Rebound:
When HIV becomes detectable again after stopping treatment. This shows that the virus was still hidden in the body.
aNAbs (autologous neutralising antibodies):
aNAbs are antibodies that a person’s own immune system naturally produces against their specific HIV strain.
bNAbs (broadly neutralising antibodies):
Special antibodies that can recognise and block many different versions of HIV, making them promising for treatment and a potential cure.
CRISPR:
A gene-editing technology that allows scientists to cut or modify DNA. It is being explored to remove or disable HIV in infected cells.
Block and Lock:
A strategy that aims to permanently silence HIV so it stays inactive and cannot reactivate.
Kick and Kill:
A strategy that first “wakes up” hidden HIV (kick), then helps the immune system or therapies destroy those infected cells (kill).
Immune Vaccine (therapeutic vaccine):
A vaccine designed for people living with HIV to strengthen their immune response and help control the virus without daily medication.
CAR-T cells:
Immune cells that are genetically engineered to better recognise and eliminate HIV-infected cells. It’s like a school they were sent to learn how to recognize and eliminate infected cells.
Integration site:
The exact place in a person’s DNA where HIV inserts itself. This allows the virus to hide and persist.
Sterile cure:
A complete cure where all HIV is removed from the body.
Functional cure (remission):
HIV remains in the body but is controlled without treatment, and does not cause health issues or transmission to others. Also called long-term remission.
Elite Controllers:
A small group of people living with HIV who can naturally control the virus without treatment. Researchers study them to understand how this is possible.
HIV persistence:
HIV persistence means that the virus can stay in the body for a very long time, even when someone is on effective treatment (ART).
🧪 Research & Clinical Trial
Clinical trial:
A study in people to test whether a treatment is safe and effective.
Phases (Phase I–III):
Different stages of clinical trials:
• Phase I: safety
• Phase II: dosing and early effects
• Phase III: large-scale effectiveness.
Placebo:
A substance with no active effect, used to compare whether a treatment really works..
Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria:
Rules about who can or cannot participate in a study.
Informed Consent:
A process where participants receive clear information and agree voluntarily to take
🔬 Methods & Data
Qualitative Research:
Research that explores experiences, opinions, and meanings (e.g. interviews, focus groups).
Quantitative Research:
Research based on numbers and measurements (e.g. surveys, lab data).
Bias:
Systematic error that can influence study results.
Sample Size:
The number of participants in a study, which affects how reliable results are.
Data Privacy / Confidentiality:
Protecting participants’ personal information.
🔬 Laboratory & Research Methods
PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction):
PCR is a method that copies tiny amounts of genetic material to make them detectable.
It is used to detect very small amounts of HIV DNA or RNA in samples.
It is important because it helps identify hidden uy virus in reservoirs.
Viral Load Test:
A viral load test measures how much HIV is in the blood.
It is used to monitor how active the virus is during and after treatment.
It is important to assess whether a cure strategy can control HIV without ART.
Transcription:
Transcription is the process of copying DNA into RNA.
It is used to study when HIV becomes active inside infected cells.
It is important for understanding how latent HIV reactivates.
Reverse Transcription:
Reverse transcription is when HIV converts its RNA into DNA.
It is studied to understand early steps of infection.
It is important because blocking this step can stop HIV from establishing infection.
Flow cytometry:
Flow cytometry is a technique that analyses cells using lasers.
It is used to identify and count different immune cell types, including infected cells.
It is important for tracking immune responses and targeting infected cells.
Sequencing:
Sequencing reads the genetic code of HIV or cells. It is used to track mutations and viral diversity. It is important for understanding how HIV escapes treatments.
Genotyping:
Genotyping analyses genetic variations in HIV.
It is used to detect drug resistance.
It is important for designing effective and personalised treatments.
Cell Culture:
Cell culture is the process of growing cells in the lab.
It is used to study HIV infection and test new therapies.
It is important for testing cure strategies before human trials.
In Vitro:
In vitro refers to experiments done outside the body.
It is used to test ideas in controlled lab conditions.
It is important for early-stage development of cure approaches.
In vivo:
In vivo refers to experiments in living organisms.
It is used to test safety and effectiveness in real biological systems.
It is important for translating lab findings into real treatments.
Biomarker:
A biomarker is a measurable indicator in the body.
It is used to track disease activity or treatment effects.
It is important for evaluating whether a cure strategy is working..
Assay:
An assay is a laboratory test designed to measure something specific.
It is used to detect HIV or immune responses.
It is important for accurately measuring the reservoir and treatment effects.
Limit of Detection:
The limit of detection is the smallest amount a test can reliably measure.
It is used to interpret whether HIV is truly absent or just very low.
It is important for evaluating claims of remission or cure.
Single-Cell Analysis:
Single-cell analysis studies individual cells in detail.
It is used to understand how HIV behaves differently in each cell.
It is important for developing targeted cure strategies.
Immunoassay:
An immunoassay uses antibodies to detect molecules.
It is used to measure immune responses or HIV proteins.
It is important for vaccine and antibody-based research.
