Differences in HIV-1 reservoir size, landscape characteristics and decay dynamics in acute and chronic treated HIV-1 Clade C infection

This study investigates the differences in the hidden reservoirs of the HIV-1 virus in people who start treatment at different stages of infection. HIV-1 Clade C is the most common subtype of HIV in many parts of the world, including Africa and India. HIV reservoirs are cells in the body where the virus can hide and stay inactive for long periods. These reservoirs are a significant challenge for curing HIV because they can reactivate and cause the infection to come back even after treatment. The researchers compared people who started HIV treatment during the early (acute) stage of infection with those who started during the later (chronic) stage. They looked at three main aspects: the size of the HIV reservoirs (how many cells are hiding the virus), the characteristics of these reservoirs (where they are and how they behave), and how these reservoirs change over time (decay dynamics). In summary, this research shows that starting HIV treatment early can lead to smaller and potentially more manageable HIV reservoirs. Understanding these differences helps in developing better treatment strategies aimed at curing HIV by targeting these hidden reservoirs.