Remarkable advances have been made in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV)-1 infection, but in the entire history of the epidemic, only 1 patient seems to have been
cured. Herein we review the fundamental mechanisms that render HIV-1 infection difficult to
cure and then discuss recent clinical and experimental situations in which some form of cure
has been achieved. Finally, we consider approaches that are currently being taken to
develop a general cure for HIV-1 infection.