Review

Molecular mechanisms of HIV-1 persistence in the monocyte-macrophage lineage

Valentin Le Douce¹, Georges Herbein³, Olivier Rohr^1,2* and Christian Schwartz^1,2

• * Corresponding author: Olivier Rohr olivier.rohr@iutlpa.u-strasbg.fr

Author Affiliations

¹ INSERM unit 575, Pathophysiology of Central Nervous System, Institute of Virology, rue Koeberlé, 67000 Strasbourg, France

² IUT Louis Pasteur de Schiltigheim, University of Strasbourg, 1 Allée d'Athènes, 67300 Schiltigheim, France

³ UPRES EA 3186, Pathogens and Inflammation, CHU of Besançon, University of Franche-Comté, Department of Virology, 25030 Besançon, France

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Retrovirology 2010, 7:32 doi:10.1186/1742-4690-7-32

Published: 9 April 2010

Abstract

The introduction of the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has greatly improved survival. However, these treatments fail to definitively cure the patients and unveil the presence of quiescent HIV-1 reservoirs like cells from monocyte-macrophage lineage. A purge, or at least a significant reduction of these long lived HIV-1 reservoirs will be needed to raise the hope of the viral eradication. This review focuses on the molecular mechanisms responsible for viral persistence in cells of the monocyte-macrophage lineage. Controversy on latency and/or cryptic chronic replication will be specifically evoked. In addition, since HIV-1 infected monocyte-macrophage cells appear to be more resistant to apoptosis, this obstacle to the viral eradication will be discussed. Understanding the intimate mechanisms of HIV-1 persistence is a prerequisite to devise new and original therapies aiming to achieve viral eradication.