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IMMUNOMETABOLISM

The metabolic tug of war between HIV and T cells

Nature Metabolism volume 1, pages 653–655 (2019)Cite this article

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The loss of T cell immune function as a result of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection leads to opportunistic infections and certain HIV-associated cancers. Two recent studies shed light on the complex immunometabolic changes during HIV infection and open the door to metabolic treatment options that could ultimately cure HIV.

More than 35 million people worldwide live with HIV infection (https://www.who.int/gho/hiv/en/). As a result of the development of effective anti-retroviral therapy (ART), HIV infection is now considered a chronic disease. However, ART does not eliminate HIV from the body, and acquired therapeutic resistance has been observed1. Additionally, the life-long need for therapy imposes a financial burden associated with controlling viral load and complications of viral infection. Therefore, the development of immune-mediated therapies resulting in the generation of immunological memory and long-lived protection is needed. This development would require a better understanding of both the immune cells affected by HIV and the immune cells providing protection against HIV. Of particular relevance is a subset of HIV-infected individuals with spontaneous immune control of their HIV infection.

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Fig. 1: Metabolic requirements for HIV infection and antiviral T cell immunity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Ramon I. Klein Geltink

  2. Department of Pathology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Ramon I. Klein Geltink

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  1. Ramon I. Klein Geltink
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Correspondence to Ramon I. Klein Geltink.

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Klein Geltink, R.I. The metabolic tug of war between HIV and T cells. Nat Metab 1, 653–655 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-019-0091-2

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