Zeitschrift für antivirale und antiretrovirale Medikamente
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Immune Activation and HIV Pathogenesis: Implications for Therapy

Preeti Bharaj and Harendra Singh Chahar

HIV infection is associated with continued activation of immune system and this is known to be the driving force behind CD4+ T cell depletion and progression to AIDS. Nonpathogenic Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) infections of natural hosts are characterized by low levels of immune activation even in the chronic phase of infection. Effective Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) does not fully resolve immune activation and HIV infected patients continue to experience non-AIDS related events leading to premature immune senescence. In this review, we summarize the possible mechanisms driving HIV associated immune activation, and novel therapeutic interventions that show promise in treating the disease.