HIV associated cell death: Peptide-induced apoptosis restricts viral transmission

Journal article

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is still a global pandemic and despite the successful use of anti-retroviral therapy, a well-established cure remains to be identified. Viral modulation of cell death has a significant role in HIV pathogenesis. Here we sought to understand the major mechanisms of HIV- induced death of lymphocytes and the effects on viral transmission. Flow cytometry analysis of lymphocytes from five latent HIV-infected patients, and HIV IIIB-infected MT2 cells demonstrated both necrosis and apoptosis to be the major mechanisms of cell death in CD4+ and CD4-/CD8- lymphocytes. Significantly, pro-apoptotic tumor necrosis factor (TNF) peptide (P13) was found to inhibit HIV-related cell death and reduced viral transmission. Whereas pro-necrotic TNF peptide (P16) had little effect on HIV-related cell death and viral transmission. Understanding mechanisms by which cell death can be manipulated may provide additional drug targets to reduce the loss of CD4+ cells and the formation of a viral reservoir in HIV infection

Authors: Chen, Q; Zhao, Y; Zhang, Y; Zhang, J; Lu, W

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Frontiers Media
• Journal: Frontiers in Immunology
• Volume: 14
• Pages: 1096759-1096759
• Article number: 1096759
• Publication date: 2023-02-22
• DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1096759
• EISSN: 1664-3224
• ISSN: 1664-3224
• Language: English
• Keywords: Programmed cell death; Immunology; Genetics; Computer science; Virology; Transmission (telecommunications); Cell biology; Biology; Apoptosis; Peptide; Medicine; Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)