Commentary on LRAs targeting NF-κB with epigenetic and mutational impacts on HIV latency

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) latency is controlled by factors like nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), which binds to the long terminal repeat of the HIV genome to start viral gene expression. The primary cellular form of NF-κB is a heterodimer comprising the DNA-binding subunit p50 and the transactivator p65. Phosphorylation of IkappaB kinase (IκB) is driven by the IκB kinase complex, whose core is formed by the NF-κB essential modulator. However, epigenetic changes like DNA methylation and histone modifications can suppress this activation. Recent studies show that HIV reservoirs are diverse, with complex interactions between viral and host factors affecting latency-reversing agent (LRA) effectiveness. Mutations in the NF-κB binding sites, converting them to GA-binding protein sites, complicate latency reversal by altering responses to LRAs.