Reversion of immune escape HIV variants upon transmission: insights into effective viral immunity.
Many viruses that cause chronic viremic infections, such as human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), mutate extensively to avoid effective control by the host immune system. However, each immune escape mutation probably results in some fitness cost to the virus. The most effective immune responses might be those that target the regions of the virus where escape mutation inflicts the largest fitness cost to the virus. A virus crippled by immune escape mutations would result in reduced viral load and delayed disease. Such knowledge could be used to rationally design more effective vaccines.
Kent
Stephen J
SJ
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. skent@unimelb.edu.au
Fernandez
Caroline S
CS
Dale
C Jane
CJ
Davenport
Miles P
MP
D000818:Animals; D018450:Disease Progression; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008251:Macaca; D009154:Mutation; D016097:Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D019562:Viral Load