MicroRNAs and their potential involvement in HIV infection

Treatment and cure of HIV-1 infection remain one of the greatest therapeutic challenges owing to its persistent infection, which often leads to AIDS. Although it has been 28 years since the discovery of the virus, the development of an effective vaccine is still years away. Relatively newly discovered miRNAs are a family of small noncoding RNAs that can regulate gene expression primarily by binding to the 3' untranslated region of targeted transcripts. An understanding of how HIV-1 infection affects the host miRNA pathway could generate new insights into the basic mechanisms underlying HIV-1-mediated pathologies and T-lymphocyte depletion. Here, we review literature on the biogenesis of HIV-1-encoded miRNAs, cellular miRNAs that can directly target HIV-1 or essential cellular factors required for HIV-1 replication. We also discuss the feasibility of using miRNAs for HIV-1 therapy.