Somewhere in our genome, we are programmed to use the end of the year as a time to reflect on the previous 12 months — and to make lists!<\/p>\n
If you don’t believe me, there’s barely a publication or web site out there that hasn’t already succumbed, and we’re just in early December.<\/p>\n
And what we can learn from these lists! For example, did you know that the the #4 search for 2012 on Bing <\/a>was\u00a0Gangnam Style Dance?<\/a> I did not — confess I didn’t even know what it was before today — but the video below has had nearly 900 million views.\u00a0Key question: Can it get to a billion with our help?<\/em><\/p>\n Regardless, Journal Watch\/AIDS Clinical Care<\/em> is not immune to this annual List Mania, and hence I’m pleased to present our Editors’ picks for the Top Stories of 2012. As usual, we select those stories that have the greatest clinical impact, or are particularly ground-breaking in their public health or pre-clinical findings. This year we’re limiting it to published papers, guidelines, and approvals rather than meeting reports and press releases.<\/p>\n Some of the published papers have obvious direct relevance today, such as the studies on and the FDA approval of co-formulated TDF\/FTC\/EVG\/c (“Quad”), and its subsequent listing in HIV treatment guidelines; ditto FDA approval of TDF\/FTC for PrEP.\u00a0By contrast, the data on dolutegravir are likely to become even more important next year, with the anticipated publication of studies already presented<\/a> at major meetings, and the likely FDA approval of this drug. And the study on “waking up HIV” is an early salvo in what should be a growing body of literature on HIV cure strategies.<\/p>\n Without further ado, here are the Top (published) Stories of 2012:<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0DHHS Guidelines Add Tenofovir\/FTC\/Elvitegravir\/Cobicistat as an Alternative Regimen for First-Line HIV Treatment\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n 2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Tenofovir\/FTC Approved for PrEP .\u00a0.\u00a0.<\/a><\/p>\n 3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Undetectable VL \u2013 not a guarantee against transmitting HIV<\/a><\/p>\n 4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0HIV and the clinical manifestations of accelerated aging<\/a><\/p>\n 5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Even at high CD4 counts, mortality high in untreated HIV<\/a><\/p>\n 6.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The latest \u201cvital signs\u201d on HIV epidemic\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n 7.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Dolutegravir holds promise<\/a><\/p>\n 8.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0No more excuses: VL monitoring lowers costs\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n 9.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0HCV is an emerging epidemic among HIV-positive MSM<\/a><\/p>\n 10.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Waking up HIV<\/a><\/p>\n Now it’s time to dance:<\/p>\n