Emory University researchers reported that a short course of venetoclax, a BCL-2 inhibitor approved for certain blood cancers, reduced the intact SIV reservoir in rhesus macaques when given at antiretroviral therapy initiation. The study, published in Nature Microbiology, tested ART alone versus ART plus venetoclax, with additional arms including CD8α depletion. In animals treated with venetoclax, investigators observed a rapid reduction in intact SIV DNA in CD4+ T cells in blood compared with ART-only controls, and the reduction persisted through day 294 post-infection. The team also reported lowered reservoir levels in lymph nodes, a key tissue site for viral persistence. The study connects the HIV cure barrier to BCL-2-mediated survival advantages, suggesting that infected cells overexpressing BCL-2 may persist despite ART. The researchers framed the intervention as a potential accelerator for cure-focused timelines by targeting reservoir maintenance. The data also provide a translational bridge between oncology and HIV persistence biology by repurposing an approved agent for latent reservoir reduction strategies.