The Ultimate Goal

The scientists' ultimate goal is to find new ways to purge those latent virus particles from every AIDS-infected person, and thereby forestall permanent dependence on those overwhelmingly expensive drugs.

In their challenge to AIDS researchers worldwide, the U.S. scientists have published a review paper in the journal Science with Delaney listed as co-author. The paper, which is also dedicated to Delaney because of his participation as a "friend and colleague," appears Friday.

Its authors include Douglas D. Richman of UC San Diego, Warner C. Greene of UCSF's Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, Daria Hazuda of pharmaceutical giant Merck, Roger J. Pomerantz of Johnson & Johnson and David M. Margolis of the University of North Carolina.

Their paper is titled "The Challenge of Finding a Cure for HIV Infection."

By killing virtually all the latent viruses in the cells of infected people - even in those who live in good health while taking the anti-viral drugs, the researchers hope the immune systems of those who are infected would be empowered to cope with any few virus particles that remain without ever requiring more antiviral drug therapy.

"The big question," said Greene in an interview, "is how do we turn against a silent virus when we can't kill it until it expresses itself? It calls for a fundamentally different approach to cure the HIV infection, and it's an extremely tough goal that may not even succeed."