More than a decade into the recognition of the HIV epidemic, it became clear that there was a group of HIV infected persons whose HIV disease did not progress over an extended period of time.

As time has progressed and it has become possible to measure the amount of HIV in the blood stream, it has become clear that a small fraction of these people are able to maintain long term control of virus to undetectable or nearly undetectable levels.

Such HIV controllers are a subset of HIV infected individuals who are able to keep the virus from replicating without the aid of treatment. About 1 out of every 300 infected persons is an HIV controller. 

The International HIV Controllers Study is committed to learning how some persons naturally control HIV without medications. These rare individuals may provide key insights needed to advance the field. 

Website: www.hivcontrollers.org

Laboratories which focus on Elite Controllers:
		Allen Lab
		Altfeld Lab
		Le Gall Lab
		Pereyra Lab
		Walker Lab
Regarding study participation, individuals:
		Email: ragonclinicalresearch@partners.org Phone: (855) 724-0557 (tollfree) You can also register with Research Study Volunteer Program (RSVP for Health), an MGH and BWH registry where individuals interested in clinical research trials or studies can register to receive information.
Regarding study participation, study sites:
		If you are a study site interested in participating in a longitudinal multi-center study for HIV Controllers, please fill out this survey.

Additional info:
		In Peru, 'Elite' AIDS Patients Boost Vaccine Research Efforts – PBS Newshour Jim Lehrer NewsHour segment about HIV Elites Controllers in Peru featured on PBS Newshour. The video features Ragon Institute Director Bruce Walker and Program Leader Darrell Irvine and the work being done at MIT. view video and read transcript
		Collaboration, Philanthropy, and Volunteerism Speed Research A report in Science entitled "The major genetic determinants of HIV-1 control affect HLA class I peptide presentation", is the culmination of the efforts of over 300 collaborators on 6 continents and is a testament to the power of collaboration, philanthropy and volunteerism in scientific research. read more