Biphasic decay of intact SHIV genomes following initiation of antiretroviral therapy complicates analysis of interventions targeting the reservoir.

ABSTRACT: The latent reservoir for HIV-1 in resting CD4⁺ T cells persists despite antiretroviral therapy (ART) and precludes cure. Reservoir-targeting interventions are evaluated in ART-treated macaques infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) or simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV). Efficacy is determined by reservoir measurements before and after the intervention. However, most proviruses persisting in the setting of ART are defective. In addition, intact HIV-1 and SIV genomes undergo complex, multiphasic decay observable when new infection events are blocked by ART. Intervention-induced elimination of latently infected cells must be distinguished from natural decay. Here, we address these issues for SHIV. We describe an intact proviral DNA assay that allows digital count

SUBMITTER: Kumar MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10614214 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature