Novel insights into immune checkpoints in HIV/SHIV infection: from SHIV_SF162P3-infected elite controllers to therapeutic strategy.

ABSTRACT: During chronic HIV-1 infection, the upregulation of immune checkpoints (ICs) on lymphocytes contributes to persistent immune dysfunction, T-cell exhaustion, and inadequate virological control, highlighting the potential role of ICs in HIV functional cure strategy. Despite extensive research on ICs, the expression dynamics and immunological impact of ICs in natural HIV/SHIV infection, particularly among antiretroviral therapy (ART)-free elite controllers (ECs), remain poorly understood. In this study, we monitored a cohort of SHIV_SF162P3-infected rhesus macaques (RMs), identifying four ECs and four progressors (PGs) through longitudinal evaluation. We observed low-level expression of ICs in both peripheral blood and lymph nodes of ECs, characterized by a particularly pronounced r

SUBMITTER: Sun Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12363197 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature