How HIV Evades CTL Recognition

Title: How HIV Evades CTL Recognition

Volume: 1 Issue: 1

Author(s): Kathleen L. Collins

Affiliation:

Keywords: hiv, ctl, ctl recognition, cytotoxic t lymphocytes, anti-hiv ctls

Abstract: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is unique in its capacity to produce chronic disease in almost all infected hosts. To accomplish this, it has evolved multiple mechanisms to effectively evade the immune response. HIV encodes at least one protein that makes infected cells resistant to CTL killing by downmodulating epitope (peptide plus MHC-I protein) density on the infected cell surface. In addition, HIV encodes several mechanisms to promote apoptosis of HIV-specific CTLs. The end result is that infected cells have a reduced susceptibility to CTLs, survive longer and produce more viral antigenic variants that can further evade the immune response.

Cite this article as:

Collins L. Kathleen, How HIV Evades CTL Recognition, Current HIV Research 2003; 1 (1) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1570162033352138