Enos Bernasconi

Over the last 25 years my major research focus has been HIV infection, with important achievements in the framework of the Swiss HIV Cohort Study (www.shcs.ch). We demonstrated the possibility to abandon primary Pneumocystis jiroveci (previously P. carini) in persons with advanced HIV disease and CD4+ counts increase over 200 cells/uL under a potent antiretroviral treatment (ART) for more than 6 months [1]. We contributed to the understanding of lipoatrophy, probably the most stigmatizing adverse event associated with ART. Lipoatrophy was initially attributed to HIV-protease inhibitors, but it was caused by thymidine analogues inhibitors of the HIV reverse transcriptase, i.e. stavudine and zidovudine [2]. Moreover, we described other important adverse events of nucleosides and nucleotides reverse transcriptase inhibitors, like hyperlactatemia and more recently weight gain associated with tenofovir alafenamide [3]. A milestone in the field of HIV was the publication of the “Swiss statement” in 2008. After extensive review of published biological and epidemiological studies, we stated that HIV infected persons under effective ART and undetectable HIV-viremia could not transmit HIV by sexual intercourse. In the framework of the SHCS, we contributed to interventional studies aiming at the micro elimination of hepatitis C in men who have sex with men [4]. We also demonstrated the efficacy and safety of a dual antiretroviral therapy (dolutegravir/emtricitabine) instead of the classic combination of three drugs [5]. In recent years, we were part of the collaborative effort to understand HIV transmission networks by the mean of molecular biology with the principal aim to guide HIV prevention efforts [6]. Moreover, we contributed to studies on the transmission of HIV resistance, and on viral genetic determinants of HIV pathogenesis and immune response [7].

13 August 2024, Enos Bernasconi, ORCID iD 0000-0002-9724-8373