HIV-infected CD4+ T lymphocyte (HIV-infected CD4+ T cell)

HIV-infected CD4+ T lymphocytes are the primary host cells for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1 and HIV-2) and represent the central target for both therapeutic suppression and cure efforts. These cells are identified by the viral exploitation of the CD4 receptor and co-receptors (CCR5 or CXCR4) for entry, leading to viral integration into the host genome (NIH, 2023). While antiretroviral therapy (ART) effectively inhibits active replication, a subset of these cells persists as a latent reservoir, harboring proviral DNA that remains invisible to the immune system and unaffected by standard drugs (Nature Reviews Immunology, 2018). Eradication strategies such as 'shock and kill' utilize latency-reversing agents like Vorinostat to induce viral protein expression, making the cells susceptible to immune clearance or targeted therapies like broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) and CAR-T cells (PubMed, 2021). The depletion of these cells is the hallmark of AIDS progression, while their persistence in the latent state is the primary barrier to a functional cure. Monitoring these cells involves tracking CD4+ counts and measuring the size of the viral reservoir through DNA and RNA assays (StatPearls, 2023).

Other names

HIV reservoirLatently infected CD4+ T cellsHIV-1 infected T cellsHIV-infected CD4+ T lymphocytes

Inhibition of viral entry, reverse transcription, integration, and maturation; reactivation of latent provirus; targeted cellular cytotoxicity.