Let's cross our fingers

A harmless bacterium has been discovered taht seems to bind to the HIV virus rendering it ineffective:

Tao and colleagues at Chicago's Rush University isolated the lactobacilli from the oral and vaginal cavities of healthy human volunteers. The team then tested the bacteria against HIV and found two strains that specifically trap the virus by eating mannose and -- in the lab at least -- block infection.
'If we can find its natural enemy, we can control the spread of HIV naturally and cost-effectively, just as we use cats to control mice,' Tao said.

Let's hope this might one day lead to a cheap effective cure