Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2025
High Throughput In Vitro Assessment of Latency Reversing Agents on HIV Transcription and Splicing
Published on: January 22, 2019
HIV-1 latency: From acquaintance to confidant
Chenbo Yang1, Ling Tong2, Jing Xue1,3
1NHC Key Laboratory of Human Disease Comparative Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Models of Emerging and Remerging Infectious Diseases, Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) manages HIV but viral reservoirs persist. This review details host factors and viral proteins that establish and maintain HIV latency, crucial for developing eradication strategies.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Antiretroviral therapy (ART) controls HIV but does not eliminate latent viral reservoirs.
- Persistent HIV reservoirs are a major obstacle to achieving a complete cure for HIV infection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the mechanisms of HIV latency establishment and persistence.
- To highlight key host factors and viral proteins involved in maintaining latent HIV reservoirs.
- To discuss recent advancements in identifying novel host factors influencing HIV latency.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on host factors and viral proteins.
- Analysis of transcription factor regulation of HIV gene expression.
- Inclusion of findings from recent CRISPR screening technologies.
Main Results:
- Viral proteins Tat and Rev are critical for HIV latency export and stability.
- Transcription factors (NFκB, NFAT, Sp1) and other host factors (e.g., SAMHD1, APOBEC3, LEDGF/p75) regulate HIV gene expression and reservoir persistence.
- Novel host factors (e.g., LAPTM5, FBXO34, FTSJ3) influencing HIV-1 latency have been identified through recent research and CRISPR screening.
Conclusions:
- HIV latency is established and maintained by a complex interplay of host factors and viral proteins.
- Understanding these multifaceted mechanisms is essential for developing effective HIV eradication strategies.
- Continued research is needed to target persistent viral reservoirs and achieve a functional cure for HIV.
