Latent infection of CD4+ T cells provides a mechanism for lifelong persistence of HIV-1, even in patients on effective combination therapy
Abstract
Combination therapy for HIV-1 infection can reduce plasma virus to undetectable levels, indicating that prolonged treatment might eradicate the infection. However, HIV-1 can persist in a latent form in resting CD4+ T cells. We measured the decay rate of this latent reservoir in 34 treated adults whose plasma virus levels were undetectable. The mean half-life of the latent reservoir was very long (43.9 months). If the latent reservoir consists of only 1 x 10(5) cells, eradication could take as long as 60 years. Thus, latent infection of resting CD4+ T cells provides a mechanism for lifelong persistence of HIV-1, even in patients on effective anti-retroviral therapy.
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HAART does not offer a permanent cure because interruption of therapy leads to rapid rebound of viremia from latent reservoirs.
“Moreover, although HARRT extends the lives of HIV-1 infected patients, it does not offer a permanent cure, since interruption of therapy leads to rapid rebound of viremia from latent reservoirs [3,4].”
From Newer Gene Editing Technologies toward HIV Gene Therapy (2013) · cites this paper as [3]
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Background
- Authors
- Finzi, D., Blankson, J., Siliciano, J. D., Margolick, J. B., Chadwick, K., Pierson, T., Smith, K., Lisziewicz, J., Lori, F., Flexner, C., Quinn, T. C., Chaisson, R. E., Rosenberg, E., Walker, B., Gange, S., Gallant, J., & Siliciano, R. F.
- Affiliations
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Cornell University (US)
- Georgetown University (US)
- National Institutes of Health (US)
- Harvard University (US)
- ORCID
- Venue
- Nature Medicine
- Published
- 1999-05
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 512-517
- ISSN
- 1078-8956 (ISSN-L)
- 1546-170X
- DOI
- 10.1038/8394
- OpenAlex
- W1497870368
- Cited by
- 2,119
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 39 · 2025: 45 · 2024: 55 · 2023: 56 · 2022: 62 · 2021: 77 · 2020: 112 · 2019: 90 · 2018: 112 · 2017: 88 · 2016: 96 · 2015: 67 · 2014: 82 · 2013: 83 · 2012: 60
- FWCI
- 39.88
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Nature Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (AI 43222, R01AI043222)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Virology › HIV Research and Treatment
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › HIV/AIDS drug development and treatment
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
- Keywords
- HIV-1, latent viral reservoir, CD4+ T cells, viral persistence, antiretroviral therapy, viral eradication
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Cells, Cultured, Cross-Sectional Studies, Drug Therapy, Combination, Female, Half-Life, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, RNA, Viral, Virus Replication, CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes, HIV-1, HIV Infections, Virus Latency, Viral Load
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