Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine are studying methods to induce antiretroviral therapy-free remission in children with perinatal HIV.
This research is critical because it seeks to move beyond lifelong daily medication toward potentially curative approaches for pediatric patients. Achieving remission without the need for continuous drug intervention could fundamentally change the quality of life for children born with the virus.
Deborah Persaud, director of pediatric infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins Medicine, is leading the effort to identify how to maintain this state of remission. The goal is to pave the way for novel treatments that allow the body to control the virus without the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART).
Recent data indicates that some children have remained in HIV remission for more than one year [1] after stopping their ART. This milestone suggests that the immune system may be capable of suppressing the virus for extended periods under specific conditions.
While standard treatment focuses on lifelong suppression, the Johns Hopkins team is investigating the biological mechanisms that allow some patients to maintain low viral loads without medication. This work focuses specifically on perinatal HIV, which occurs when a child is infected during pregnancy or childbirth.
Developing a viable path to ART-free remission would reduce the burden of lifelong medication and eliminate the long-term side effects associated with chronic drug use in developing children. The team continues to monitor these patients to determine the long-term stability of the remission.
“Researchers are studying methods to induce antiretroviral therapy-free remission in children.”
The ability of pediatric patients to maintain viral suppression for over a year without medication indicates that HIV remission is biologically possible in children. If these findings can be replicated and the mechanisms understood, it could shift the clinical goal from lifelong management to a functional cure, reducing the systemic toxicity associated with decades of antiretroviral drug use.
