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Why it’s so hard to cure HIV/AIDS - Janet Iwasa

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TEDEd Animation

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In 2008, something incredible happened: a man was cured of HIV. In over 70 million HIV cases, this was a first, and, so far, a last, and we don’t yet understand exactly how he was cured. But if we can cure people of various diseases, like malaria and hepatitis C, why can’t we cure HIV? Janet Iwasa examines the specific traits of the HIV virus that make it so difficult to cure.

We know that HIV targets a very specific group of cells in our body – helper T cells – that play a critical role in fighting bacterial and fungal infections. How do you think the virus is able to specifically find and recognize T cells?

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About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Janet Iwasa
  • Director Javier Saldeña
  • Animator Javier Saldeña
  • Narrator Pen-Pen Chen

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