H-106 Speaking in honor of Ray Schinazi: Assessing the contribution of myeloid cells to HIV-1 persistence in the face of ART. (March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Stevenson, Mario
• Is Part Of: Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes. Volume 74(2017)Supplement 3
• Publication Date: 2017-03
• Subjects: AIDS (Disease) -- Periodicals; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome -- Periodicals; AIDS (Disease); Periodicals; 616.9792005
• DOI: 10.1097/01.qai.0000513981.83469.e2
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1525-4135

Abstract

Abstract : Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can sustain suppression of plasma viremia for years. However, if therapy is interrupted, there is a rapid resumption in viremia. Therefore, HIV-1 has the ability to persist in the face of potent ART. Identifying the mechanism through which HIV-1 persists in infected individuals on suppressive therapy is central to the goal of curing infection in these individuals. For this reason, research is focused on establishing tools with which to probe the reservoirs that persist in aviremic individuals as well as clinical protocols with which to perturb those reservoirs. How we measure viral reservoirs in aviremic patients and, as a consequence, how we gauge the impact of treatments on those reservoirs is a contentious issue. Most attention has focused on the role of latently infected T-cells in viral persistence and clinical strategies are geared towards purging of these reservoirs. However, other factors may be contributing to viral persistence including residual viral replication and establishment of non- T-cell reservoirs. In addition, although ART significantly improves health outcomes for the patient, several markers of immunopathogenicity persist in the face of effective viral suppression and drive co-morbidities. Studies examining the potential role of myeloid cells to viral persistence in the face of suppressive ART will be discussed.