This is a straightforward account of a research breakthrough that shows once again, as one expert quoted in the piece said: "HIV is an incredibly complex virus and research is ongoing to try and establish exactly how it works." It turns out that it DOESN'T work the way a longstanding theory had it. "We need more studies in this area before we can draw any clear conclusions."

Very clear and precise--gets to the point without skipping the background information.

Good objective, factual article about this pressing health problem

An important step in uncovering scientific breakthroughs often comes in the form of challenges to existing theories. Without efforts like this, science can travel down paths to nowhere for ages. This is very encouraging information and at the same time only challenges a theory - that could be seen as the opposite of progress.

This is a very simplistic story that does not help those who are not knowledgeable about scientific inquiry understand the meaning of the study. A mathematical model can certainly provide information, but it is not comparable to a study of infected human beings or animals or of cells in a test tube. There is no discussion, either in the BBC story or in the PLoS article, that convinces me of the validity of the mathematical model that is used. I am not, however, a mathematician, having only completed 3 semesters of calculus in college. As a physician, I am not at all convinced that there is significant information presented in this article.

This is an example of poor journalism. The headline and lead sentence are misleading, by giving the impression that researchers have either refuted that HIV is an infection, or refuted the commonly held model of how the HIV virus destroys the immune system. At best, the article provides an argument that the current theory is incomplete. It quotes a research professor, Jaroslav Stark (role in the research not identified), stating that the commonly held model, if accurate, would lead to more rapid depletion of infection-fighting T cells than what is observed. If true, one would look for unknown factors protecting the immune system. The article states "The Imperial team thinks one possible explanation could be that the virus slowly ... More »

This story is impossible to rate. Two huge problems prevent a proper evaluation: first, the BBC is not the impartial, professional and accurate source it should be -- a fact that was very recently admitted by the BBC itself. There is a long and disgraceful history here, replete with hubris and an elitist mindset that extends beyond political reporting. The BBC is accustomed to crafting, not reporting, the truth. Second, who among us is qualified to understand this research, or even grasp the nature of it from this cursory article? -- Years ago I read a comprehensible and credible-appearing report in TIME on astronomical research done at Caltech, and found myself chatting with a Caltech astronomy professor only days later. His ... More »