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Updated: Jul 29, 2026

Preparation and Use of HIV-1 Infected Primary CD4+ T-Cells as Target Cells in Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxic Assays
Published on: March 14, 2011
HIV-1 actively replicates in naive CD4(+) T cells residing within human lymphoid tissues
D A Eckstein1, M L Penn, Y D Korin
1Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94141, USA.
Human lymphoid tissues enable de novo infection of resting naive T cells by HIV-1. These quiescent cells productively replicate the virus, contributing to viral load and potential elimination.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Naive T cells are typically resistant to productive HIV-1 infection in vitro.
- HIV-1 gene expression is observed in naive, resting T cells in vivo.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the permissiveness of naive, resting T cells to HIV-1 infection within the lymphoid tissue microenvironment.
- To determine if lymphoid tissues support de novo HIV-1 infection and replication in quiescent T cells.
Main Methods:
- Cell cycle analysis
- DNA labeling experiments
- Quantitation of viral burst size
Main Results:
- Human lymphoid tissues support de novo HIV-1 infection of quiescent naive T cells.
- Naive T cells productively replicate HIV-1, contributing to local viral burden.
- These cells are permissive to viral replication and targeted for elimination.
Conclusions:
- Lymphoid tissues facilitate active HIV-1 replication in resting naive T cells.
- Naive T cells are not just latent reservoirs but actively support viral replication.
- Active replication in these cells may lead to their depletion.
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