scholarly journals Reactivation Kinetics of HIV-1 and Susceptibility of Reactivated Latently Infected CD4+T Cells to HIV-1-Specific CD8+T Cells

2015 ◽  
Vol 89 (18) ◽  
pp. 9631-9638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria E. K. Walker-Sperling ◽  
Valerie J. Cohen ◽  
Patrick M. Tarwater ◽  
Joel N. Blankson
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Antiretroviral Therapy ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Virus Release ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Shock And Kill ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Kinetics Of ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACTThe “shock and kill” model of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) eradication involves the induction of transcription of HIV-1 genes in latently infected CD4+T cells, followed by the elimination of these infected CD4+T cells by CD8+T cells or other effector cells. CD8+T cells may also be needed to control the spread of new infection if residual infected cells are present at the time combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) is discontinued. In order to determine the time frame needed for CD8+T cells to effectively prevent the spread of HIV-1 infection, we examined the kinetics of HIV transcription and virus release in latently infected cells reactivatedex vivo. Isolated resting, primary CD4+T cells from HIV-positive (HIV+) subjects on suppressive regimens were found to upregulate cell-associated HIV-1 mRNA within 1 h of stimulation and produce extracellular virus as early as 6 h poststimulation. In spite of the rapid kinetics of virus production, we show that CD8+T cells from 2 out of 4 viremic controllers were capable of effectively eliminating reactivated autologous CD4+cells that upregulate cell-associated HIV-1 mRNA. The results have implications for devising strategies to prevent rebound viremia due to reactivation of rare latently infected cells that persist after potentially curative therapy.IMPORTANCEA prominent HIV-1 cure strategy termed “shock and kill” involves the induction of HIV-1 transcription in latently infected CD4+T cells with the goal of elimination of these cells by either the cytotoxic T lymphocyte response or other immune cell subsets. However, the cytotoxic T cell response may also be required after curative treatment if residual latently infected cells remain. The kinetics of HIV-1 reactivation indicate rapid upregulation of cell-associated HIV-1 mRNA and a 5-h window between transcription and virus release. Thus, HIV-specific CD8+T cell responses likely have a very short time frame to eliminate residual latently infected CD4+T cells that become reactivated after discontinuation of antiretroviral therapy following potentially curative treatment strategies.

scholarly journals Activation of Latent HIV-1 T Cell Reservoirs with a Combination of Innate Immune and Epigenetic Regulators

2019 ◽  
Vol 93 (21) ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Palermo ◽  
Chiara Acchioni ◽  
Daniele Di Carlo ◽  
Alessandra Zevini ◽  
Michela Muscolini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
T Lymphocytes ◽  
Histone Deacetylase ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Viral Reservoir ◽  
Hiv Eradication ◽  
Shock And Kill ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT The presence of T cell reservoirs in which human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) establishes latency by integrating into the host genome represents a major obstacle to an HIV cure and has prompted the development of strategies aimed at the eradication of HIV from latently infected cells. The “shock-and-kill” strategy is one of the most pursued approaches to the elimination of viral reservoirs. Although several latency-reversing agents (LRAs) have shown promising reactivation activity, they have failed to eliminate the cellular reservoir. In this study, we evaluated a novel immune system-mediated approach to clearing the HIV reservoir, based on a combination of innate immune stimulation and epigenetic reprogramming. The combination of the STING agonist cGAMP (cyclic GMP-AMP) and the FDA-approved histone deacetylase inhibitor resminostat resulted in a significant increase in HIV proviral reactivation and specific apoptosis in HIV-infected cells in vitro. Reductions in the proportion of HIV-harboring cells and the total amount of HIV DNA were also observed in CD4+ central memory T (TCM) cells, a primary cell model of latency, where resminostat alone or together with cGAMP induced high levels of selective cell death. Finally, high levels of cell-associated HIV RNA were detected ex vivo in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and CD4+ T cells from individuals on suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). Although synergism was not detected in PBMCs with the combination, viral RNA expression was significantly increased in CD4+ T cells. Collectively, these results represent a promising step toward HIV eradication by demonstrating the potential of innate immune activation and epigenetic modulation for reducing the viral reservoir and inducing specific death of HIV-infected cells. IMPORTANCE One of the challenges associated with HIV-1 infection is that despite antiretroviral therapies that reduce HIV-1 loads to undetectable levels, proviral DNA remains dormant in a subpopulation of T lymphocytes. Numerous strategies to clear residual virus by reactivating latent virus and eliminating the reservoir of HIV-1 (so-called “shock-and-kill” strategies) have been proposed. In the present study, we use a combination of small molecules that activate the cGAS-STING antiviral innate immune response (the di-cyclic nucleotide cGAMP) and epigenetic modulators (histone deacetylase inhibitors) that induce reactivation and HIV-infected T cell killing in cell lines, primary T lymphocytes, and patient samples. These studies represent a novel strategy for HIV eradication by reducing the viral reservoir and inducing specific death of HIV-infected cells.

scholarly journals Antigen responsive CD4+ T cell clones contribute to the HIV-1 latent reservoir

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pilar Mendoza ◽  
Julia R. Jackson ◽  
Thiago Oliveira ◽  
Christian Gaebler ◽  
Victor Ramos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Half Life ◽  
Latent Reservoir ◽  
Small Subset ◽  
T Cell Clones ◽  
Cell Clones ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Hiv 1

AbstractAntiretroviral therapy suppresses but does not cure HIV-1 infection due to the existence of a long-lived reservoir of latently infected cells. The reservoir has an estimated half-life of 44 months and is largely composed of clones of infected CD4+ T cells. The long half-life appears to result in part from expansion and contraction of infected CD4+ T cell clones. However, the mechanisms that govern this process are poorly understood. To determine whether the clones might result from, and be maintained by exposure to antigen, we measured responses of reservoir cells to a small subset of antigens from viruses that produce chronic or recurrent infections. Despite the limited panel of test antigens, clones of antigen responsive CD4+ T cells containing defective or intact latent proviruses were found in 7 out of 8 individuals studied. Thus, chronic or repeated exposure to antigen may contribute to the longevity of the HIV-1 reservoir by stimulating the clonal expansion of latently infected CD4+ T cells.

scholarly journals CD32+and PD-1+Lymph Node CD4 T Cells Support Persistent HIV-1 Transcription in Treated Aviremic Individuals

2018 ◽  
Vol 92 (20) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Noto ◽  
Francesco A. Procopio ◽  
Riddhima Banga ◽  
Madeleine Suffiotti ◽  
Jean-Marc Corpataux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Cell Population ◽  
Cd4 T Cells ◽  
Cd4 T Cell ◽  
Cell Populations ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACTA recent study conducted in blood has proposed CD32 as the marker identifying the “elusive” HIV reservoir. We have investigated the distribution of CD32+CD4 T cells in blood and lymph nodes (LNs) of HIV-1-uninfected subjects and viremic untreated and long-term-treated HIV-1-infected individuals and their relationship with PD-1+CD4 T cells. The frequency of CD32+CD4 T cells was increased in viremic compared to treated individuals in LNs, and a large proportion (up to 50%) of CD32+cells coexpressed PD-1 and were enriched within T follicular helper (Tfh) cells. We next investigated the role of LN CD32+CD4 T cells in the HIV reservoir. Total HIV DNA was enriched in CD32+and PD-1+CD4 T cells compared to CD32−and PD-1−cells in both viremic and treated individuals, but there was no difference between CD32+and PD-1+cells. There was no enrichment of latently infected cells with inducible HIV-1 in CD32+versus PD-1+cells in antiretroviral therapy (ART)-treated individuals. HIV-1 transcription was then analyzed in LN memory CD4 T cell populations sorted on the basis of CD32 and PD-1 expression. CD32+PD-1+CD4 T cells were significantly enriched in cell-associated HIV RNA compared to CD32−PD-1−(averages of 5.2-fold in treated individuals and 86.6-fold in viremics), CD32+PD-1−(2.2-fold in treated individuals and 4.3-fold in viremics), and CD32−PD-1+(2.2-fold in ART-treated individuals and 4.6-fold in viremics) cell populations. Similar levels of HIV-1 transcription were found in CD32+PD-1−and CD32−PD-1+CD4 T cells. Interestingly, the proportion of CD32+and PD-1+CD4 T cells negatively correlated with CD4 T cell counts and length of therapy. Therefore, the expression of CD32 identifies, independently of PD-1, a CD4 T cell population with persistent HIV-1 transcription and coexpression of CD32 and PD-1, the CD4 T cell population with the highest levels of HIV-1 transcription in both viremic and treated individuals.IMPORTANCEThe existence of long-lived latently infected resting memory CD4 T cells represents a major obstacle to the eradication of HIV infection. Identifying cell markers defining latently infected cells containing replication-competent virus is important in order to determine the mechanisms of HIV persistence and to develop novel therapeutic strategies to cure HIV infection. We provide evidence that PD-1 and CD32 may have a complementary role in better defining CD4 T cell populations infected with HIV-1. Furthermore, CD4 T cells coexpressing CD32 and PD-1 identify a CD4 T cell population with high levels of persistent HIV-1 transcription.

scholarly journals Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Guided by the Single-Chain Fv of a Broadly Neutralizing Antibody Specifically and Effectively Eradicate Virus Reactivated from Latency in CD4 + T Lymphocytes Isolated from HIV-1-Infected Individuals Receiving Suppressive Combined Antiretroviral Therapy

2016 ◽  
Vol 90 (21) ◽  
pp. 9712-9724 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bingfeng Liu ◽  
Fan Zou ◽  
Lijuan Lu ◽  
Cancan Chen ◽  
Dalian He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Antiretroviral Therapy ◽  
T Lymphocytes ◽  
Chimeric Antigen Receptor ◽  
Car T Cells ◽  
Combined Antiretroviral Therapy ◽  
Car T ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT Despite the advent of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), the persistence of viral reservoirs remains a major barrier to curing human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. Recently, the shock and kill strategy, by which such reservoirs are eradicated following reactivation of latent HIV-1 by latency-reversing agents (LRAs), has been extensively practiced. It is important to reestablish virus-specific and reliable immune surveillance to eradicate the reactivated virus-harboring cells. In this report, we attempted to reach this goal by using newly developed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell technology. To generate anti-HIV-1 CAR-T cells, we connected the single-chain variable fragment of the broadly neutralizing HIV-1-specific antibody VRC01 to a third-generation CAR moiety as the extracellular and intracellular domains and subsequently transduced this into primary CD8 + T lymphocytes. We demonstrated that the resulting VC-CAR-T cells induced T cell-mediated cytolysis of cells expressing HIV-1 Env proteins and significantly inhibited HIV-1 rebound after removal of antiviral inhibitors in a viral infectivity model in cell culture that mimics the termination of the cART in the clinic. Importantly, the VC-CAR-T cells also effectively induced the cytolysis of LRA-reactivated HIV-1-infected CD4 + T lymphocytes isolated from infected individuals receiving suppressive cART. Our data demonstrate that the special features of genetically engineered CAR-T cells make them a particularly suitable candidate for therapeutic application in efforts to reach a functional HIV cure. IMPORTANCE The presence of latently infected cells remains a key obstacle to the development of a functional HIV-1 cure. Reactivation of dormant viruses is possible with latency-reversing agents, but the effectiveness of these compounds and the subsequent immune response require optimization if the eradication of HIV-1-infected cells is to be achieved. Here, we describe the use of a chimeric antigen receptor, comprised of T cell activation domains and a broadly neutralizing antibody, VRC01, targeting HIV-1 to treat the infected cells. T cells expressing this construct exerted specific cytotoxic activity against wild-type HIV-1-infected cells, resulting in a dramatic reduction in viral rebound in vitro , and showed persistent effectiveness against reactivated latently infected T lymphocytes from HIV-1 patients receiving combined antiretroviral therapy. The methods used in this study constitute an improvement over existing CD4-based CAR-T technology and offer a promising approach to HIV-1 immunotherapy.

scholarly journals The Pathway To Establishing HIV Latency Is Critical to How Latency Is Maintained and Reversed

2018 ◽  
Vol 92 (13) ◽  
pp. e02225-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simin D. Rezaei ◽  
Hao K. Lu ◽  
J. Judy Chang ◽  
Ajantha Rhodes ◽  
Sharon R. Lewin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Antiretroviral Therapy ◽  
T Cell Receptor ◽  
Cell Receptor ◽  
Egfp Expression ◽  
Hiv Latency ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Virus Expression

ABSTRACTHIV infection requires lifelong antiretroviral therapy because of the persistence of latently infected CD4+T cells. The induction of virus expression from latently infected cells occurs following T cell receptor (TCR) activation, but not all latently infected cells respond to TCR stimulation. We compared two models of latently infected cells using an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) reporter virus to infect CCL19-treated resting CD4+(rCD4+) T cells (preactivation latency) or activated CD4+T cells that returned to a resting state (postactivation latency). We isolated latently infected cells by sorting for EGFP-negative (EGFP−) cells after infection. These cells were cultured with antivirals and stimulated with anti-CD3/anti-CD28, mitogens, and latency-reversing agents (LRAs) and cocultured with monocytes and anti-CD3. Spontaneous EGFP expression was more frequent in postactivation than in preactivation latency. Stimulation of latently infected cells with monocytes/anti-CD3 resulted in an increase in EGFP expression compared to that for unstimulated controls using the preactivation latency model but led to a reduction in EGFP expression in the postactivation latency model. The reduced EGFP expression was not associated with reductions in the levels of viral DNA or T cell proliferation but depended on direct contact between monocytes and T cells. Monocytes added to the postactivation latency model during the establishment of latency reduced spontaneous virus expression, suggesting that monocyte-T cell interactions at an early time point postinfection can maintain HIV latency. This direct comparison of pre- and postactivation latency suggests that effective strategies needed to reverse latency will depend on how latency is established.IMPORTANCEOne strategy being evaluated to eliminate latently infected cells that persist in HIV-infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy (ART) is to activate HIV expression or production with the goal of inducing virus-mediated cytolysis or immune-mediated clearance of infected cells. The gold standard for the activation of latent virus is T cell receptor stimulation with anti-CD3/anti-CD28. However, this stimulus activates only a small proportion of latently infected cells. We show clear differences in the responses of latently infected cells to activating stimuli based on how latent infection is established, an observation that may potentially explain the persistence of noninduced intact proviruses in HIV-infected individuals on ART.

scholarly journals CD161+ CD4+ T Cells Harbor Clonally Expanded Replication-Competent HIV-1 in Antiretroviral Therapy-Suppressed Individuals

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaomin Li ◽  
Zhaoli Liu ◽  
Qijuan Li ◽  
Ronglin Hu ◽  
Lu Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Antiretroviral Therapy ◽  
Clonal Expansion ◽  
Latent Reservoir ◽  
Term Stability ◽  
Long Term Stability ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACT The presence of an extremely stable latent reservoir of HIV-1 is the major obstacle to eradication, despite effective antiretroviral therapy (ART). Recent studies have shown that clonal expansion of latently infected cells without viral reactivation is an important phenomenon that maintains the long-term stability of the reservoir, yet its underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here we report that a subset of CD4+ T cells, characterized by CD161 expression on the surface, is highly permissive for HIV-1 infection. These cells possess a significantly higher survival and proliferative capacity than their CD161-negative counterparts. More importantly, we found that these cells harbor HIV-1 DNA and replication-competent latent viruses at a significantly higher frequency. By using massive single-genome proviral sequencing from ART-suppressed individuals, we confirm that CD161+ CD4+ T cells contain remarkably more identical proviral sequences, indicating clonal expansion of the viral genome in these cells. Taking the results together, our study identifies infected CD161+ CD4+ T cells to be a critical force driving the clonal expansion of the HIV-1 latent reservoir, providing a novel mechanism for the long-term stability of HIV-1 latency. IMPORTANCE The latent reservoir continues to be the major obstacle to curing HIV-1 infection. The clonal expansion of latently infected cells adds another layer maintaining the long-term stability of the reservoir, but its mechanism remains unclear. Here, we report that CD161+ CD4+ T cells serve as an important compartment of the HIV-1 latent reservoir and contain a significant amount of clonally expanded proviruses. In our study, we describe a feasible strategy that may reduce the size of the latent reservoir to a certain extent by counterbalancing the repopulation and dissemination of latently infected cells.

scholarly journals Pharmacological Modulation of the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway Inhibits Proliferation and Promotes Differentiation of Long-Lived Memory CD4+ T Cells in Antiretroviral Therapy-Suppressed Simian Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Macaques

2019 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Mavigner ◽  
M. Zanoni ◽  
G. K. Tharp ◽  
J. Habib ◽  
C. R. Mattingly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Antiretroviral Therapy ◽  
Viral Reservoir ◽  
Self Renewal ◽  
Hiv Persistence ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Infected Cells

ABSTRACT The major obstacle to human immunodeficiency type 1 virus (HIV-1) eradication is a reservoir of latently infected cells that persists despite long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART) and is maintained through cellular proliferation. Long-lived memory CD4+ T cells with high self-renewal capacity, such as central memory (CM) T cells and stem cell memory (SCM) T cells, are major contributors to the viral reservoir in HIV-infected individuals on ART. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway regulates the balance between self-renewal and differentiation of SCM and CM T cells, and pharmacological manipulation of this pathway offers an opportunity to interfere with the proliferation of latently infected cells. Here, we evaluated in vivo a novel approach to inhibit self-renewal of SCM and CM CD4+ T cells in the rhesus macaque (RM) model of simian immunodeficiency (SIV) infection. We used an inhibitor of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, PRI-724, that blocks the interaction between the coactivator CREB-binding protein (CBP) and β-catenin, resulting in the cell fate decision to differentiate rather than proliferate. Our study shows that PRI-724 treatment of ART-suppressed SIVmac251-infected RMs resulted in decreased proliferation of SCM and CM T cells and modified the SCM and CM CD4+ T cell transcriptome toward a profile of more differentiated memory T cells. However, short-term treatment with PRI-724 alone did not significantly reduce the size of the viral reservoir. This work demonstrates for the first time that stemness pathways of long-lived memory CD4+ T cells can be pharmacologically modulated in vivo, thus establishing a novel strategy to target HIV persistence. IMPORTANCE Long-lasting CD4+ T cell subsets, such as central memory and stem cell memory CD4+ T cells, represent critical reservoirs for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) persistence despite suppressive antiretroviral therapy. These cells possess stem cell-like properties of enhanced self-renewal/proliferation, and proliferation of latently infected memory CD4+ T cells plays a key role in maintaining the reservoir over time. Here, we evaluated an innovative strategy targeting the proliferation of long-lived memory CD4+ T cells to reduce viral reservoir stability. Using the rhesus macaque model, we tested a pharmacological inhibitor of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway that regulates T cell proliferation. Our study shows that administration of the inhibitor PRI-724 decreased the proliferation of SCM and CM CD4+ T cells and promoted a transcriptome enriched in differentiation genes. Although the viral reservoir size was not significantly reduced by PRI-724 treatment alone, we demonstrate the potential to pharmacologically modulate the proliferation of memory CD4+ T cells as a strategy to limit HIV persistence.

scholarly journals Effective Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Targeting of Persistent HIV-1 during Antiretroviral Therapy Requires Priming of Naive CD8+T Cells

mBio ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kellie N. Smith ◽  
Robbie B. Mailliard ◽  
Paolo A. Piazza ◽  
Will Fischer ◽  
Bette T. Korber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Dendritic Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
Antiretroviral Therapy ◽  
Memory T Cells ◽  
Naive T Cells ◽  
Naïve T Cells ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Ifn Γ ◽  
Hiv 1

ABSTRACTCuring HIV-1 infection will require elimination of persistent cellular reservoirs that harbor latent virus in the face of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). Proposed immunotherapeutic strategies to cure HIV-1 infection include enhancing lysis of these infected cells by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). A major challenge in this strategy is overcoming viral immune escape variants that have evaded host immune control. Here we report that naive CD8+T cells from chronic HIV-1-infected participants on long-term cART can be primed by dendritic cells (DC). These DC must be mature, produce high levels of interleukin 12p70 (IL-12p70), be responsive to CD40 ligand (CD40L), and be loaded with inactivated, autologous HIV-1. These DC-primed CD8+T cell responders produced high levels of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) in response to a broad range of both conserved and variable regions of Gag and effectively killed CD4+T cell targets that were either infected with the autologous latent reservoir-associated virus or loaded with autologous Gag peptides. In contrast, HIV-1-specific memory CD8+T cells stimulated with autologous HIV-1-loaded DC produced IFN-γ in response to a narrow range of conserved and variable Gag peptides compared to the primed T cells and most notably, displayed significantly lower cytolytic function. Our findings highlight the need to selectively induce new HIV-1-specific CTL from naive precursors while avoiding activation of existing, dysfunctional memory T cells in potential curative immunotherapeutic strategies for HIV-1 infection.IMPORTANCECurrent immunotherapeutic approaches aim to enhance antiviral immunity against the HIV-1 reservoir; however, it has yet to be shown whether T cells from persons on cART can recognize and eliminate virus-infected cells. We show that in persons on cART a personalized medicine approach using their dendritic cells to stimulate their naive T cells induces potent effector CTLin vitrothat recognize and eradicate HIV-1-infected CD4+T cells. Additionally, we show that the same stimulation of existing memory T cells results in cytokine secretion but limited effector function. Our study demonstrates that the naive T cell repertoire can recognize persistent HIV-1 during cART and supports immunotherapy strategies for an HIV-1 cure that targets naive T cells, rather than existing, dysfunctional, memory T cells.

scholarly journals Potential Utility of Natural Killer Cells for Eliminating Cells Harboring Reactivated Latent HIV-1 Following the Removal of CD8+ T Cell-Mediated Pro-Latency Effect(s)

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1451
Author(s):  
Georges Khoury ◽  
Deanna A. Kulpa ◽  
Matthew S. Parsons
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Natural Killer ◽  
Cd8 T Cells ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Shock And Kill ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Latent Hiv ◽  
Living With Hiv ◽  
Hiv 1

An impediment to curing HIV-1 infection is the persistence of latently infected cells in ART-treated people living with HIV (PLWH). A key strategy for curing HIV-1 infection is to activate transcription and translation of latent virus using latency reversing agents (LRAs) and eliminate cells harboring reactivated virus via viral cytopathic effect or immune clearance. In this review, we provide an overview of available LRAs and their use in clinical trials. Furthermore, we describe recent data suggesting that CD8+ T cells promote HIV-1 latency in the context of ART, even in the presence of LRAs, which might at least partially explain the clinical inefficiency of previous “shock and kill” trials. Here, we propose a novel cure strategy called “unlock, shock, disarm, and kill”. The general premise of this strategy is to shut down the pro-latency function(s) of CD8+ T cells, use LRAs to reverse HIV-1 latency, counteract anti-apoptotic molecules, and engage natural killer (NK) cells to mediate the killing of cells harboring reactivated latent HIV-1.

scholarly journals CAGE-seq reveals that HIV-1 latent infection does not trigger unique cellular responses in a Jurkat T cell model.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Matsui ◽  
Kotaro Shirakawa ◽  
Yoshinobu Konishi ◽  
Shigeki Hirabayashi ◽  
Anamaria Daniela Sarca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
T Cell ◽  
T Cell Activation ◽  
Mtor Pathway ◽  
Differentially Expressed ◽  
Transcriptional Responses ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Latent Hiv ◽  
Hiv 1

The cure for HIV-1 is currently stalled by our inability to specifically identify and target latently infected cells. HIV-1 viral RNA/DNA or viral proteins are recognized by cellular mechanisms and induce interferon responses in virus producing cells, but changes in latently infected cells remain unknown. HIVGKO contains a GFP reporter under the HIV-1 promoter and an mKO2 reporter under the internal EF1α promoter. This viral construct enables direct identification of HIV-1 both productively and latently infected cells. In this study we aim to identify specific cellular transcriptional responses triggered by HIV-1 entry and integration using Cap Analysis of Gene Expression (CAGE). We deep sequenced CAGE tags in uninfected, latently and productively infected cells and compared their differentially expressed transcription start site (TSS) profiles. Virus producing cells had differentially expressed TSSs related to T-cell activation and apoptosis when compared to uninfected cells or latently infected cells. Surprisingly, latently infected cells had only 33 differentially expressed TSSs compared to uninfected cells. Among these, SPP1 and APOE were down-regulated in latently infected cells. SPP1 or APOE knockdown in Jurkat T cells increased susceptibility to HIVGKO infection, suggesting that they have anti-viral properties. Components of the PI3K/mTOR pathway, MLST8, 4EBP and RPS6, were significant TSSs in productively infected cells, and S6K phosphorylation was increased compared to latently infected cells, suggesting that mTOR pathway activity plays a role in establishing the latent reservoir. These findings indicate that HIV-1 entry and integration do not trigger unique transcriptional responses when infection becomes latent. Importance: Latent HIV-1 infection is established as early as the first viral exposure and remains the most important barrier in obtaining the cure for HIV-1 infection. Here, we used CAGE to compare the transcriptional landscape of latently infected cells with that of non-infected or productively infected cells. We found that latently infected cells and non-infected cells show quite similar transcriptional profiles. Our data suggest that T-cells cannot recognize incoming viral components nor the integrated HIV-1 genome when infection remains latent. These findings should guide future research into widening our approaches to identify and target latent HIV-1 infected cells.

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