Evolution and Diversity of Immune Responses during Acute HIV Infection

Abstract

© 2020 The Author(s) Understanding the earliest immune responses following HIV infection is critical to inform future vaccines and therapeutics. Here, we review recent prospective human studies in at-risk populations that have provided insight into immune responses during acute infection, including additional relevant data from non-human primate (NHP) studies. We discuss the timing, nature, and function of the diverse immune responses induced, the onset of immune dysfunction, and the effects of early anti-retroviral therapy administration. Treatment at onset of viremia mitigates peripheral T and B cell dysfunction, limits seroconversion, and enhances cellular antiviral immunity despite persistence of infection in lymphoid tissues. We highlight pertinent areas for future investigation, and how application of high-throughput technologies, alongside targeted NHP studies, may elucidate immune response features to target in novel preventions and cures. Shalek and colleagues review recent findings on the nature and function of immune responses during acute HIV infection, including insights into the onset of immune dysfunction. They discuss the effects of anti-retroviral therapy on these early responses and argue for the importance of understanding acute HIV infection for the development of improved preventive and therapeutic strategies.