Understanding virus resistance in HIV controllers: how are their CD4+ T cells protected from infection?

The term "HIV controllers" is used for those rare patients who naturally control HIV replication in the absence of antiretroviral treatment. These patients are known to harbor particularly effective antiviral T cells which help them maintain a very low population of infected cells. HIV predominantly targets and destroys activated CD4+ T cells, known as "helper" cells. Antiviral CD4+ T cells are activated when they come into contact with the virus. But little is known about the way in which these cells escape depletion in controllers. A recent study conducted by scientists from the Institut Pasteur and Inserm shows that antiviral CD4+ T cells in controllers express lower levels of the co-receptor CCR5, which makes them less susceptible to HIV entry. The results are published in Nature Communications.

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