A team of researchers from the University of Virginia has shed light on one of the key mechanisms that allows HIV to persist in the human body for decades, remaining out of reach of drugs. In a new study, scientists have shown that even small changes in a specific element of the virus’s genome — the Rev-RRE axis — can significantly affect its ability to “hide” in a latent state.
Rev-RRE is a kind of “switch system” that regulates the production of viral proteins. Scientists have found that variations in this axis can either increase the activity of HIV or, conversely, contribute to its “freezing”, when the virus is stored in cells without signs of activity. It is such “silent” viral reservoirs that become the main obstacle to a complete cure.
A new study shows that HIV strains with a less active Rev-RRE axis are less susceptible to current treatment approaches, such as the “shock and kill” strategy, which aims to activate latent virus for subsequent destruction. In other words, a “low-noise” virus actually has an evolutionary advantage in terms of therapy.
We found that viruses with low Rev activity have an advantage in avoiding reactivation, which makes them more difficult to eliminate,” said one of the study’s authors, Dr. Godfrey Jivhugo. “Boosting the Rev-RRE axis may help bring the virus out of latency and make it vulnerable to therapy.”
These results not only deepen our understanding of HIV biology, but also open up prospects for more precise and personalized treatment. Manipulating the activity of the Rev-RRE axis may become the basis for new approaches in the fight against HIV infection.