Human immunodeficiency virus peptide–Major Histocompatibility Complex class I complex (HIV pMHC-I)

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) peptide–Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class I complexes are cell-surface structures formed when viral proteins are processed into short peptides and presented by MHC class I molecules (Source: PubMed, PMID: 33558483). These complexes are the fundamental units recognized by the T-cell receptors (TCRs) of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes, triggering the destruction of the infected cell (Source: NIH, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases). In chronic HIV infection, the virus evades this response through the mutational escape of epitopes and the Nef-mediated downregulation of MHC I molecules from the cell surface (Source: Journal of Virology, doi:10.1128/JVI.02225-14). Modern therapeutic interventions, such as ImmTAVs (Immune mobilizing monoclonal TCRs against virus) and TCR-engineered T cells, are designed to bypass natural immune limitations by targeting these complexes with high affinity (Source: Immunocore Holdings plc). These therapies aim to eliminate the persistent viral reservoir, particularly in the context of shock and kill eradication strategies (Source: Nature Communications, doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21449-w).

Other names

HIV-1 peptide-HLA class I complexHIV epitope-MHC complexHIV pHLA-IHIV-1 pMHCHIV-1 peptide-MHC-I

Redirection of cytotoxic T lymphocytes to recognize and lyse HIV-infected cells through high-affinity binding to viral peptide-MHC complexes (Source: Immunocore).