Reservoirs for HIV-1.
The success of antiretroviral therapy for HIV-1 infection has generated interest in mechanisms by which the virus can persist in the body despite the presence of drugs that effectively inhibit key steps in the virus life cycle. There are several potential cellular and anatomic reservoirs for HIV-1. Among the most worrisome is a reservoir consisting of latently infected resting CD4+ T cells. Recent studies suggest that these cells can potentially provide a mechanism for life-long persistence of replication-competent forms of HIV-1, rendering unrealistic hopes of virus eradication with current antiretroviral regimens.
Siliciano
RF
Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.