BBC Inside Science A 'functional' cure for HIV?
Dec 4, 2025
Kate Bishop, a leading HIV researcher at the Francis Crick Institute, discusses promising advancements toward a 'functional' cure for HIV, focusing on broadly neutralising antibodies. Professor Ulf Büntgen from Cambridge shares intriguing links between tree rings, volcanic activity, and the historical spread of the Black Death. Roland Pease explores groundbreaking ancient DNA findings from southern Africa, revealing insights into human ancestry. Meanwhile, science broadcaster Caroline Steele highlights fascinating recent discoveries, including satellite photobombing and innovations in programmable plastics.
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Antibodies Can Produce Durable Viral Control
- Broadly neutralising antibodies can control diverse HIV variants and stop new infections.
- They may also stimulate immune responses to recognise and clear infected cells, suggesting durable control without full eradication.
Why HIV Evades Complete Cure
- HIV integrates into host DNA and hides in dormant cells, making eradication extremely difficult.
- Because infected cells resemble normal cells, complete removal would require killing every infected cell, so researchers prefer the term 'functional cure'.
Combine Tools And Focus On Prevention
- Pursue combination approaches rather than a single 'magic bullet' for HIV treatment.
- Develop long-acting therapies and strengthen prevention funding to reduce new infections and improve adherence.