As the global fight against AIDS enters its fourth decade, researchers are exploring new avenues for treating HIV, focusing on a rare group known as ‘elite controllers’ who maintain undetectable viral loads without medication. Thumbi Ndung’u from the Africa Health Research Institute is studying genetic factors that might explain their unique immune responses. While the quest for a definitive cure continues, advancements in gene editing technologies like CRISPR are opening new possibilities, and the ongoing HIV research has already impacted medical practices beyond HIV treatment, notably in COVID-19 vaccine development.