Recognition of viral antigens at the cell surface

There is now a very good understanding of the way in which epitope peptides are generated from virus proteins and how the peptides bind to the class I MHC molecules. This gives a framework in which to analyse the potentially protective cytotoxic T lymphocyte response in human immunodeficiency virus infection. A detailed understanding of the specificity of the responding T cells, the clonality of these T cells and the effects of virus variation on the CTL gives a possible explanation for the ultimate failure of the CTL response to control this virus infection.