HIV Reservoir: How to Measure It?
1Scientific Research Center, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Current HIV/AIDS Reports
|April 2, 2023
Summary
Accurately measuring the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) latent reservoir is crucial for developing effective cures. Current assays have limitations, necessitating improved methods for detecting even ultralow levels of the virus.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- The persistence of a long-lived cellular reservoir harboring replication-competent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a primary obstacle to achieving a complete cure for HIV/AIDS.
- Accurate quantification of this latent reservoir is essential for evaluating the efficacy of potential curative strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the main elements and characteristics of widely used assays for detecting the HIV latent reservoir.
- To highlight the limitations of current detection methods and the need for more precise assays.
Main Methods:
- Review of established and emerging assays for HIV latent reservoir detection.
- Discussion of the principles and performance of the quantitative viral outgrowth assay (QVOA) and the intact proviral DNA assay (IPDA).
Main Results:
- The quantitative viral outgrowth assay (QVOA) is the established gold standard for assessing latent HIV-1 viral load.
- The intact proviral DNA assay (IPDA) indicates a predominance of defective HIV viruses.
- Existing assays may be insufficient for detecting ultralow levels of latent virus, potentially leading to misinterpretation of cure status.
Conclusions:
- There is a critical need for accurate and precise measurement of the HIV reservoir to effectively evaluate functional or sterilizing cure strategies.
- Further development of sensitive assays is required to overcome the limitations of current methods in detecting residual latent HIV.
- Improved reservoir detection assays will be vital for advancing HIV/AIDS curative research.
