January 2008

13 January 2008

Transmitting HIV through T cell nanotubes

Nature Cell Biology doi: 10.1038/ncb1682

Membrane nanotubes formed by contact between immune T-cells significantly increase transmission efficiency of HIV between infected and uninfected cells. The study, published online this week in Nature Cell Biology may explain why neutralizing antibodies fail to prevent persistent viral spread.

HIV infectivity during cell to cell viral transmission is 100-1000 times more efficient than infection with virus from outside of the cell. Daniel Davis and colleagues identify of a novel route for HIV-1 infection through nanotubes between T cells – a type of white blood cell important for cell-mediated immunity. Once formed, T-cell nanotubes maintain a dynamic junction between cells but HIV-1 can cross this junction and infect the new cell.

The ability of HIV-1 to spread between cells is a major determinant of virulence; therefore identification of this new route could provide new targets for HIV-therapeutic drugs.

Membrane nanotubes physically connect T cells over long distances presenting a novel route for HIV-1 transmission.

Stefanie Sowinski, Clare Jolly, Otto Berninghausen, Marco A. Purbhoo, Anne Chauveau, Karsten Köhler, Stephane Oddos, Philipp Eissmann, Frances M. Brodsky, Colin Hopkins, Björn Önfelt, Quentin Sattentau & Daniel M. Davis

Published online: 13 January 2008 | doi:10.1038/ncb1682

Abstract | Full text