Anti-Tat Immunity in HIV-1 Infection: Effects of Naturally Occurring and Vaccine-Induced Antibodies Against Tat on the Course of the Disease.

ABSTRACT: HIV-1 Tat is an essential protein in the virus life cycle, which is required for virus gene expression and replication. Most Tat that is produced during infection is released extracellularly and it plays a key role in HIV pathogenesis, including residual disease upon combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Here, we review epidemiological and experimental evidence showing that antibodies against HIV-1 Tat, infrequently occurring in natural infection, play a protective role against disease progression, and that vaccine targeting Tat can intensify cART. In fact, Tat vaccination of subjects on suppressive cART in Italy and South Africa promoted immune restoration, including CD4+ T-cell increase in low immunological responders, and a reduction of proviral DNA even after six years of cART, wh

SUBMITTER: Cafaro A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6789840 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature