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Review
. 2019 Mar;14(2):100-107.
doi: 10.1097/COH.0000000000000530.

Tissue issues: mucosal T-cell responses in HIV-1 infection

Barbara L Shacklett  1   2 , April L Ferre  1 , Brenna E Kiniry  1
Affiliations
Review

Tissue issues: mucosal T-cell responses in HIV-1 infection

Barbara L Shacklett et al. Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2019 Mar.

Abstract

Purpose of review: This review summarizes our current understanding of HIV-1-specific T-cell responses in mucosal tissues, emphasizing recent work and specifically highlighting papers published over the past 18 months.

Recent findings: Recent work has improved the standardization of tissue sampling approaches and provided new insights on the abundance, phenotype and distribution of HIV-1-specific T-cell populations in mucosal tissues. In addition, it has recently been established that some lymphocytes exist in tissues as "permanent resident" memory cells that differ from their counterparts in blood.

Summary: HIV-1-specific T-cell responses have been extensively characterized; however, the vast majority of reports have focused on T-cells isolated from peripheral blood. Mucosal tissues of the genitourinary and gastrointestinal tracts serve as the primary sites of HIV-1 transmission, and provide "front line" barrier defenses against HIV-1 and other pathogens. In addition, the gastrointestinal tract remains a significant viral reservoir throughout the chronic phase of infection. Tissue-based immune responses may be critical in fighting infection, and understanding these defenses may lead to improved vaccines and immunotherapeutic strategies.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: The authors report no financial interests that could be perceived to bias this work. In the past year, BLS has received consulting fees from Merck, Inc., and research funding from Gilead, Inc., both unrelated to the information reported here.

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