Finding it All

As a part of its life cycle, the human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV) inserts a copy of its DNA into human immune cells. Some of these newly infected immune cells can then transition into a dormant, latent state for a long period of time, which is referred to as HIV latency.

Although current therapies, such as antiretroviral therapy (ART), can successfully block the virus from replicating further, it cannot eradicate latent HIV.

Scientists from the HIV Cure Center at the UNC School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, Emory University and University of Pennsylvania have been searching for where exactly these latent cells are hiding in the body. New research confirms that microglial cells — which are specialized immune cells that live in the brain — can serve as a stable viral reservoir for latent HIV.

“This had been suspected in the past, but proof in humans was lacking,” said first author Yuyang Tang, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and member of the UNC HIV Cure Center. “Our method for isolating viable brain cells provides a new framework for future studies on reservoirs of the central nervous system, and, ultimately, efforts towards the eradication of HIV.”

The UNC HIV Cure Center, funded through a public-private partnership between UNC and ViiV Healthcare, is at the forefront of latency research. Now researchers are trying to understand the inner workings of the brain reservoir and determine the true size of the latent HIV brain reservoir.

“It is very hard to know how big the reservoir is,” said David Margolis, director of the UNC HIV Cure Center. “The problem with trying to eradicate HIV is like trying to eradicate cancer. You want to be able to get it all, so it won’t come back.”

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