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Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Assessing the Innate Sensing of HIV-1 Infected CD4+ T Cells by Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Using an Ex vivo Co-culture System.
Published on: September 1, 2015
The interaction of HIV with dendritic cells: outcomes and pathways
Vincent Piguet1, Ralph M Steinman
1Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital and Medical School of Geneva, 24 Rue Micheli du Crest, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland. vincent.piguet@medecine.unige.ch
Abstract:
Dendritic cells (DCs), including Langerhans Cells (LCs), are probably among the earliest targets of HIV infection. Their localization in mucosal epithelia and in the T cell areas of lymphoid organs, as well as their crucial role in capturing antigens and initiating T cell responses, highlight their potential importance. Studies with cells in culture have addressed different outcomes of the HIV--DC interaction, which include: direct productive infection of DC; carriage of virus by DC to CD4+ T cells; transfer of virus between DC and T cells at an infectious synapse; and immune evasion strategies of infected DC. Here we review the literature covering these areas, including current knowledge of underlying mechanisms or pathways.
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