So Pathogenic or So What?-A Brief Overview of SIV Pathogenesis with an Emphasis on Cure Research

HIV infection requires lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) to control disease progression. Although ART has greatly extended the life expectancy of persons living with HIV (PWH), PWH nonetheless suffer from an increase in AIDS-related and non-AIDS related comorbidities resulting from HIV pathogenesis. Thus, an HIV cure is imperative to improve the quality of life of PWH. In this review, we discuss the origins of various SIV strains utilized in cure and comorbidity research as well as their respective animal species used. We briefly detail the life cycle of HIV and describe the pathogenesis of HIV/SIV and the integral role of chronic immune activation and inflammation on disease progression and comorbidities, with comparisons between pathogenic infections and nonpathogenic infections that occur in natural hosts of SIVs. We further discuss the various HIV cure strategies being explored with an emphasis on immunological therapies and shock and kill.

Automated summary

Curing HIV infection is crucial to improve the quality of life of patients, who currently require lifelong antiretroviral therapy. This review discusses different SIV strains and their animal hosts used in cure research, as well as the life cycle and pathogenesis of HIV/SIV. It also emphasizes the role of chronic immune activation and inflammation in disease progression and comorbidities, comparing pathogenic and nonpathogenic infections in natural hosts of SIVs. Furthermore, various HIV cure strategies, particularly immunological therapies and shock and kill approaches, are explored.