The role of Nef in the long-term persistence of the replication-competent HIV reservoir in South African women.

ABSTRACT: HIV-1 Nef mediates immune evasion and viral pathogenesis in part through downregulation of cell surface cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) and major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) on infected cells. While Nef function of circulating viral populations found early in infection has been associated with reservoir size in early-treated cohorts, there is limited research on how its activity impacts reservoir size in people initiating treatment during chronic infection. In addition, there is little research on its role in persistence of viral variants during long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART). Phylogenetically distinct nef genes (n=82) with varying estimated times of reservoir entry were selected from viral outgrowth variants stimulated from the reservoir of South African w

SUBMITTER: Ismail SD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11565997 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature