evidence: Nixon is the principal investigator of the project; he and Jones collaborate with more than a dozen other scientists from Mexico, Canada and Brazil to find and advance the most promising approaches to an HIV cure. Existing therapies for HIV can keep the virus in check and eliminate many symptoms associated with advanced AIDS, but if patients stop taking the medications, the virus and symptoms come back. A cure would completely eliminate the virus or prevent it from causing symptoms, and may allow patients to discontinue HIV medications and avoid their side effects.