MRC Human Immunology Unit, Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DS, UK. (screaton@molbiol.ox.ac.uk)
The disappearance of CD4+ T cells during an HIV infection sets the stage for the characteristic immunodeficiency. But how do the virally infected cells protect themselves long enough to manufacture more HIV virions? A recent paper in Nature suggests that Nef may be part of the answer.
