HIV reservoir clones reveal CTL-driven erosion and intrinsic resistance under immune pressure

Researchers isolated authentic reservoir clones that proliferate and produce infectious HIV under ART, with only small fractions expressing viral proteins at any moment. Prolonged exposure to a CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) clone substantially reduces these clones, showing time-integrated vulnerability to immune pressure, though some ARC exhibit cell-intrinsic resistance linked to low oxidative stress, which can be reversed with deferoxamine. The findings highlight specific immune-escape pathways as targets to enhance HIV cure strategies.