A small number of HIV-infected patients have immune systems that are able to keep AIDS at bay by preventing the virus from reproducing for years, and researchers are reporting that they’ve gained new insight into how that works. These fortunate patients, known as “elite controllers” or “long-term non-progressors,” are quite rare. They’ve long fascinated scientists who want to understand the secrets lurking inside their immune cells. Researchers trying to develop an AIDS vaccine are especially interested in these special patients.
