Immune responses in HIV-exposed seronegatives: have they repelled the virus?

Over the past two years, a number of reports have described specific cellular immune responses to HIV in some individuals who, despite exposure to the virus, remain uninfected. A recent description of virus disappearance in a child born to an infected mother should be seen against the background of several previous studies that have hinted at the possibility of clearance of HIV. These findings suggest that immune-mediated clearance of virus may occur in a few fortunate individuals.