Correction: Gene expression and chromatin conformation of microglia in virally suppressed people with HIV

Johannes Cm Schlachetzki1,2, Sara Gianella3, Zhengyu Ouyang4

  • 1Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA jschlachetzki@ucsd.edu.

Life Science Alliance
|October 28, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Even with antiretroviral therapy (ART), microglia can harbor HIV RNA and DNA. This indicates persistent viral reservoirs in the brain despite treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Virology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the standard treatment for HIV.
  • HIV can persist in the central nervous system (CNS) despite ART.
  • Microglia are the resident immune cells of the CNS.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the presence and characteristics of HIV in microglia within the CNS during ART.
  • To determine the extent of viral persistence in microglia.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of brain tissue samples from individuals on ART.
  • Detection of HIV RNA and integrated HIV DNA in microglia using molecular techniques.

Main Results:

  • Occasional microglia were found to contain cell-associated HIV RNA.
  • HIV DNA integrated into open regions of the host genome was detected in microglia.
  • This viral persistence was observed at a frequency of approximately 0.5%.

Conclusions:

  • Microglia can serve as a reservoir for HIV, even during effective ART.
  • The presence of integrated HIV DNA suggests a potential for viral rebound.
  • Further research is needed to understand the implications of HIV persistence in microglia for CNS disease.