title: HIV-1 vaginal transmission: cell-free or cell-associated virus?
abstract: The vast majority of new HIV infections in male-to-female transmission occurs through semen, where HIV-1 is present in two different forms: as free and as cell-associated virus. In the female lower genital tract, semen mixes with female genital secretions that contain various factors, some of which facilitate or inhibit HIV-1 transmission. Next, HIV-1 crosses the genital epithelia, reaches the regional lymph nodes, and disseminates through the female host. Cervico-vaginal mucosa contains multiple barriers, resulting in a low probability of vaginal transmission. However, in some cases, HIV-1 is able to break these barriers. Although the exact mechanisms of how these barriers function remain unclear, their levels of efficiency against cell-free and cell-associated HIV-1 are different, and both cell-free and cell-associated virions seem to use different strategies to overcome these barriers. Understanding the basic mechanisms of HIV-1 vaginal transmission is required for the development of new antiviral strategies to contain HIV-1 epidemics.
authors.affiliation: Section of Intercellular Interactions, Program in Physical Biology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barreto-de-Souza
authors.forename: Anush
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arakelyan
authors.forename: Leonid
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Margolis
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vanpouille
mesh_terms: D003075:Coitus; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006801:Humans; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*; D012661:Semen / Q000821:virology; D014621:Vagina / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology*
keywords: Cell; HIV-1; mucosa; semen; transmission
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