Germinal centers B-cell reaction and T follicular helper cells in response to HIV-1 infection
Purpose of review
This review aims to summarize the recent findings on germinal center B-cell reaction and Tfh cells in HIV-1 infection, with particular emphasis on the spatial organization of the germinal center, follicular cell regulation, and cellular alterations resulting from HIV infection.
Recent findings
HIV-specific bNAbs are generated by iterative cycles of B-cell maturation supported by GC environment. Recent observations underline that germinal center structural alterations at the earliest stages of HIV infection could impact Tfh cell and germinal center B-cell homeostasis, thus preventing the rise of effic...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - June 3, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: BROAD NEUTRALISING AND NON-NEUTRALISING ANTIBODIES: Edited by Hugo Mouquet and Olivier Schwartz Source Type: research
B-cell abnormalities in HIV-1 infection: roles for IgG3 and T-bet
Purpose of review
Numerous B-cell abnormalities in HIV-1 infection have been described over the past three decades yet have remained poorly defined mechanistically. We review recent studies that describe mechanisms of B-cell dysregulation in chronic HIV-1 infection associated with IgG3 and T-bet.
Recent findings
HIV-1 infection causes hypergammaglobulinemia and dysregulation of B-cell populations, including the expansion during chronic viremia of functionally impaired tissue-like memory (TLM) B cells. TLM B cells and B cells in other conditions of chronic activation and inflammation with similar phenotypes are charact...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - June 3, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: BROAD NEUTRALISING AND NON-NEUTRALISING ANTIBODIES: Edited by Hugo Mouquet and Olivier Schwartz Source Type: research
The antibody response in HIV-1-infected donors
Purpose of review
Although the goal of preventive HIV vaccine design is primarily the induction of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), recent evidence suggests that a protective response will also benefit from Fc effector functions. Here, we provide an update on the antibody response to HIV infection, including both Fab and Fc-mediated antibody responses. We also highlight recent studies showing the interplay between these functions, focusing primarily on studies published in the last year.
Recent findings
Identification and characterization of bNAb donors continues to provide insights into viral factors that are...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - June 3, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: BROAD NEUTRALISING AND NON-NEUTRALISING ANTIBODIES: Edited by Hugo Mouquet and Olivier Schwartz Source Type: research
Editorial introductions
No abstract available (Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS)
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - June 3, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: EDITORIAL INTRODUCTIONS Source Type: research
HIV-1 phylogenetics and vaccines
We describe the vaccine regimens that are currently tested in two vaccine efficacy trials and recent research highlighting HIV-1 genetic features that were associated with the development of broadly neutralizing antibodies.
Summary
Compared with how widely HIV-1 diversity is recognized as a critical issue for vaccine research, relatively few genetically informed vaccine solutions have been compared, in part because the lack of correlates of protection against HIV-1 limits the ability to develop and test multiple vaccine candidates in a fully rational manner. Yet, recent findings have provided a better understanding of t...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - April 6, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: PHYLOGENETICS IN HIV TRANSMISSION: Edited by Morgane Rolland and Josh Herbeck Source Type: research
Ethical issues in HIV phylogenetics and molecular epidemiology
Purpose of review
HIV phylogenetic and molecular epidemiology analyses are increasingly being performed with a goal of improving HIV prevention efforts. However, ethical, legal and social issues are associated with these analyses, and should be considered when performed.
Recent findings
Several working groups have recently outlined the major issues surrounding the use of molecular epidemiology for HIV prevention. First, the benefits of HIV molecular epidemiology remain unclear, and further work is needed to quantitatively demonstrate the benefits that can be expected. Second, privacy loss is an important risk, with im...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - April 6, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: PHYLOGENETICS IN HIV TRANSMISSION: Edited by Morgane Rolland and Josh Herbeck Source Type: research
Comparative analysis of HIV sequences in real time for public health
Purpose of review
The purpose of this study is to summarize recent advances in public health applications of comparative methods for HIV-1 sequence analysis in real time, including genetic clustering methods.
Recent findings
Over the past 2 years, several groups have reported the deployment of established genetic clustering methods to guide public health decisions for HIV prevention in ‘near real time’. However, it remains unresolved how well the readouts of comparative methods like clusters translate to events that are actionable for public health. A small number of recent studies have begun to elucidate the link...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - April 6, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: PHYLOGENETICS IN HIV TRANSMISSION: Edited by Morgane Rolland and Josh Herbeck Source Type: research
Understanding disclosed and cryptic HIV transmission risk via genetic analysis: what are we missing and when does it matter?
Purpose of review
To discuss the recent HIV phylogenetic analyses examining HIV transmission patterns among and within risk groups.
Recent findings
Phylodynamic analysis has recently been applied to multiple HIV outbreaks among people who inject drugs to determine whether HIV transmission is ongoing. Large-scale analyses of datasets of HIV sequences collected for drug-resistance testing provide population-level insights into transmission patterns. One focus across world regions has been to investigate whether age-disparity is a driver of HIV transmission. In sub-Saharan Africa, researchers have examined transmission b...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - April 6, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: PHYLOGENETICS IN HIV TRANSMISSION: Edited by Morgane Rolland and Josh Herbeck Source Type: research
Clinical and evolutionary consequences of HIV adaptation to HLA: implications for vaccine and cure
Purpose of review
The purpose of this review is to summarize recent advances in our understanding of HIV adaptation to human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-associated immune pressures and its relevance to HIV prevention and cure research.
Recent findings
Recent research has confirmed that HLA is a major driver of individual and population-level HIV evolution, that HIV strains are adapting to the immunogenetic profiles of the different human ethnic groups in which they circulate, and that HIV adaptation has substantial clinical and immunologic consequences. As such, adaptation represents a major challenge to HIV prevention an...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - April 6, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: PHYLOGENETICS IN HIV TRANSMISSION: Edited by Morgane Rolland and Josh Herbeck Source Type: research
Review: HIV-1 phylogeny during suppressive antiretroviral therapy
This article reviews methods for interrogating intrahost HIV-1 diversity, addresses the ongoing debate regarding HIV-1 compartmentalization and replication during ART, and summarizes recent findings on the effects of curative strategies on HIV-1 populations.
Recent findings
HIV-1 replication in the blood is virtually halted upon the initiation of ART. However, proliferation of cells infected prior to ART provides a self-renewing reservoir for infection during ART. Current evidence supports that proliferation of infected cells is a mechanism for HIV-1 persistence in both the blood and the tissues. However, more studies a...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - April 6, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: PHYLOGENETICS IN HIV TRANSMISSION: Edited by Morgane Rolland and Josh Herbeck Source Type: research
Phylogenetics in HIV transmission: taking within-host diversity into account
Purpose of review
Within-host diversity complicates transmission models because it recognizes that between-host virus phylogenies are not identical to the transmission history among the infected hosts. This review presents the biological and theoretical foundations for recent development in this field, and shows that modern phylodynamic methods are capable of inferring realistic transmission histories from HIV sequence data.
Recent findings
Transmission of single or multiple genetic variants from a donor's HIV population results in donor-recipient phylogenies with combinations of monophyletic, paraphyletic, and polyph...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - April 6, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: PHYLOGENETICS IN HIV TRANSMISSION: Edited by Morgane Rolland and Josh Herbeck Source Type: research
PANGEA-HIV 2: Phylogenetics And Networks for Generalised Epidemics in Africa
Purpose of review
The HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa is far from being under control and the ambitious UNAIDS targets are unlikely to be met by 2020 as declines in per-capita incidence being largely offset by demographic trends. There is an increasing number of proven and specific HIV prevention tools, but little consensus on how best to deploy them.
Recent findings
Traditionally, phylogenetics has been used in HIV research to reconstruct the history of the epidemic and date zoonotic infections, whereas more recent publications focus on HIV diversity and drug resistance. However, it is also the most powerful metho...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - April 6, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: PHYLOGENETICS IN HIV TRANSMISSION: Edited by Morgane Rolland and Josh Herbeck Source Type: research
Factors influencing HIV-1 phylogenetic clustering
Purpose of review
A major goal of public health in relation to HIV/AIDS is to prevent new transmissions in communities. Phylogenetic techniques have improved our understanding of the structure and dynamics of HIV transmissions. However, there is still no consensus about phylogenetic methodology, sampling coverage, gene target and/or minimum fragment size.
Recent findings
Several studies use a combined methodology, which includes both a genetic or patristic distance cut-off and a branching support threshold to identify phylogenetic clusters. However, the choice about these thresholds remains an inherently subjective pr...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - April 6, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: PHYLOGENETICS IN HIV TRANSMISSION: Edited by Morgane Rolland and Josh Herbeck Source Type: research
HIV subtype diversity worldwide
Purpose of review
To provide a summary of the current data on the global HIV subtype diversity and distribution by region. HIV is one of the most genetically diverse pathogens due to its high-mutation and recombination rates, large population size and rapid replication rate. This rapid evolutionary process has resulted in several HIV subtypes that are heterogeneously globally distributed.
Recent findings
Subtype A remains the most prevalent strain in parts of East Africa, Russia and former Soviet Union countries; subtype B in Europe, Americas and Oceania; subtype C in Southern Africa and India; CRF01_AE in Asia and CR...
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - April 6, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: PHYLOGENETICS IN HIV TRANSMISSION: Edited by Morgane Rolland and Josh Herbeck Source Type: research
Editorial: HIV-1 transmission and phylogenetics
No abstract available (Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS)
Source: Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS - April 6, 2019 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: PHYLOGENETICS IN HIV TRANSMISSION: Edited by Morgane Rolland and Josh Herbeck Source Type: research
