Model-based evaluation of the impact of a potential HIV cure on HIV transmission dynamics
The development of an HIV cure is a global health priority, with the target product profile (TPP) for an HIV cure guiding research efforts. Using a mathematical model calibrated to data from men who have sex with men (MSM) in the Netherlands, we assessed whether an effective cure could help end the HIV epidemic. Following the TPP, we evaluated two scenarios: (i) HIV remission, where the virus is suppressed in an individual without ongoing antiretroviral therapy (ART) but may rebound, and (ii) HIV eradication, which aims to completely remove the virus from the individual. Here, we show that sustained HIV remission (without rebound) or HIV eradication could reduce new HIV infections compared to a scenario without a cure. In contrast, transient HIV remission with a risk of rebound could increase new infections if rebounds are not closely monitored, potentially undermining HIV control efforts. Our findings emphasize the critical role of cure characteristics in maximizing cure benefits for public health and highlight the need to align HIV cure research with public health objectives to end the HIV epidemic.
Authors
- PETER C. REISS (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7896-6428)
- Alfredo De Bellis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8903-5685)
- Monique Nijhuis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6610-8282)
- Maarten F. Schim van der Loeff (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4903-7002)
- Kim Romijnders (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1491-3826)
- Giorgio Guzzetta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9296-9470)
- Janneke van de Wijgert (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2728-4560)
- Ard van Sighem (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6656-0516)
- Mirjam Kretzschmar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4394-7697)
- Ganna Rozhnova (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6725-7359)
- Myrthe S Willemsen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5370-1941)
Institutions
- University of Lisbon (PT)
- University of the Witwatersrand (ZA)
- University of Trento (IT)
- Utrecht University (NL)
- University of Münster (DE)
- Fondazione Bruno Kessler (IT)
- University Medical Center Utrecht (NL)
- Netherlands Center for Occupational Diseases (NL)
- Stichting HIV Monitoring (NL)
- Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (NL)
- GGD Amsterdam (NL)
- Public Health Service of Amsterdam (NL)
- Altrecht GGZ (NL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-04-22
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58657-x
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- HIV Research and Treatment
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.11