(Newser)
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Scientists are again on the hunt for an AIDS cure, and while they don't expect results any time soon, they see hope for the future. A research "road map" for a cure, released yesterday, is "the first step" toward solving the global crisis, says Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, who co-discovered the HIV virus. He calls a cure "a realistic possibility." But "no one thinks it's going to be easy," adds a colleague, and "some don't think it's possible."
The cure road map calls on scientists to figure out why some people have a natural resistance to the disease while learning more about how HIV hibernates—and how to manipulate it while dormant. The International AIDS Conference, which brings together 20,000 researchers, politicians, and activists, begins this weekend. Instead of seeking a cure, however, attendees hope to help "turn the tide" of the disease, which currently affects 34 million people, by limiting its spread, the AP reports.
