T-cell evasion and invasion during HIV-1 infection: The role of HIV-1 Tat protein

T-cell-mediated immune responses play indispensable roles in the defense against infectious pathogens including human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) which can establish a persistent infection that leads to many alterations in T-cell-mediated immunity. The latter include T-cell hyperactivation and depletion, both of which are essential for disease progression. Determining the factors and mechanisms pathways that lead to such abnormalities in T-cell mediated immunity during HIV-1 infection and ascertaining how the virus is able to evade immune responses elicited by T cells are critical for understanding the pathophysiology of HIV-1 infection, which in turn, could lead to new insights that may accelerate the development of novel and effective therapeutic strategies. To this end, we addressed the roles played by HIV-1 Tat protein, one of the first proteins to be expressed, in the pathogenesis of HIV-1 infection, focusing on the pathological effects of this protein in the cellular adaptive immune response in which T cells are intimately involved.