Immune responses and latent tissue reservoirs during the course of HIV-1 infection

Thirty years after the discovery of the AIDS virus and despite access to the highly effective antiretroviral treatments, no vaccine is available and the epidemic is far from being contained. The viral infection persists in long-lived latently infected cells, establishing reservoirs refractory to classical antiretroviral therapy. The level of infection in lymphoid tissues is major from the primary infection; moreover, immune responses show themselves insufficient to control the virus expansion and prevent disease progression. The host-virus relationships are particularly linked and several dynamics drive gradually to the exhaustion of immune responses. The observation of cases with long-term virological control constitutes an interesting model as these patients have particularly low levels of HIV-1 reservoir. Studies of host genetics allowed to show the strong link between the locus HLA and the non-progression. Understanding mechanisms involved in such control is an important challenge, both for the development of vaccinal strategies and new therapeutic approaches to reduce, even to eradicate, the viral reservoirs.