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Amplification of Near Full-length HIV-1 Proviruses for Next-Generation Sequencing
Published on: October 16, 2018
The place to be: HIV persistence within tissue reservoirs
Thibaut Dagand1,2, Julien Paul Gigan1,2, Rémi Fromentin1,2
1Centre de Recherche du CHUM, Montréal.
Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS
|May 7, 2026
Summary
HIV reservoirs persist in body tissues despite effective treatment, challenging immune clearance. Targeting these tissue reservoirs is crucial for developing curative strategies and achieving long-term remission in people with HIV.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Anatomy
Background:
- HIV persistence despite effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) is attributed to long-lived viral reservoirs.
- In people with HIV (PWH) on ART, the majority of infected cells are located in tissues, not circulating blood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advances in understanding the anatomical, cellular, and immunological mechanisms of HIV persistence in tissues during ART.
- To highlight the role of tissue environments in shaping HIV persistence and immune control.
Main Methods:
- Review of studies utilizing human tissues and non-human primate models.
- Application of single-cell and spatial technologies to analyze HIV reservoirs.
- Investigation of immune responses within tissue microenvironments.
Main Results:
- HIV reservoirs are distributed across lymphoid and non-lymphoid tissues, with tissue-resident CD4+ T cells (Th17, T follicular helper) being major reservoirs.
- Tissue microenvironments can influence HIV transcription and support active reservoirs, potentially leading to viral rebound.
- HIV-specific CD8+ T cells persist but may have limited control in tissues due to local immunoregulatory factors and reservoir cell resistance.
Conclusions:
- Tissues are critical sites for HIV persistence and immune control during ART.
- Therapeutic strategies must target tissue reservoirs to achieve durable HIV remission.
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