Biomarkers for Targeting the HIV-1 Reservoirs

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) is a causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).Although highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) efficiently suppresses viral replication and increases the lifespan of patients, it does not completely eliminate the latently HIV-1 infected cells from a patient's body.The greatest obstacle to finding an HIV-1 cure is posed by latently infected cells, otherwise referred to as "latent viral reservoirs".Therefore, understanding the characteristics of HIV-1 reservoirs has become a top priority in the field of HIV-1 cure research, but defining the HIV-1 reservoirs is currently limited due to a lack of definite markers for probing the latent reservoir cells in which HIV-1 hides.If an assured marker for the latent reservoir cells is discovered, it will mark considerable progress in the process of understanding the characteristics and functions of HIV-1 reservoirs, and will make possible a sterilization cure by eliminating the reservoirs.In this paper, we review several cell surface molecules, including immune checkpoint molecules (PD1, TIGIT and LAG-3), CD30, CD2, CD20, CD32a, and CD127 suggested which have been as possible markers for probing HIV-1 reservoirs.