Abstract Advances in basic and translational HIV research have refined our understanding of viral persistence while informing new strategies aimed at prevention and durable virologic control. Here, we present an overview of selected advances in HIV vaccine development, cure-directed strategies, and new insights into the mechanisms of HIV persistence, highlighting key basic and translational studies published over the past year and featured in What’s Hot in HIV Basic Science 2025. Notable progress includes promising results in germline-targeting and sequential immunization for the induction of broadly neutralizing antibody precursors, a better understanding of the mechanisms of reservoir persistence and encouraging signals that immune-based strategies can lead to post-intervention control. Collectively, these insights emphasize the value of experimental medicine trials and underscore a shift toward more precise, mechanism-informed strategies for HIV prevention and cure, pointing to a future in which durable virologic control may be achievable through rationally designed combination approaches.
Teixeira et al. (2026) studied this question.