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Scientists have discovered a new "depot" of HIV infection in the human body
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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It was previously known that the HIV virus can hide inside immune blood cells. However, recently this virus has also been discovered in macrophages, from where it is quite difficult to “expel” it.
"The findings from the studies show that HIV can hide in both T cells and other structures in the body. If the virus can survive in macrophages, then treatment should be aimed at destroying it in different types of cells," explains Jenna Hunnicutt, an employee of the American University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill).
Scientists emphasize that today HIV patients live mainly thanks to treatment with antiretroviral drugs - these are specific drugs that suppress viral replication in the body's cells. This type of treatment has a large number of side effects, so it is vital to take periodic long breaks in therapy. These forced breaks often lead to the resumption of viral activity, and the disease returns to its initial stage in 14-20 days. This is why scientists began searching for new types of treatment to avoid this phenomenon.
Jenna Hunnicutt and other researchers have determined that the virus “settles” in both T cells and macrophages – amoeboid structures that destroy pathogenic flora and other particles dangerous to the body.
The scientists conducted their experiments on special rodents whose bone marrow consists of human cellular structures.
After scientists discovered a new "depot" of HIV infection, they decided to check whether the virus, which hid in macrophages, would survive a course of treatment with antiretroviral drugs. Indeed, in more than a quarter of the experimental rodents, the virus was restored after antiretroviral treatment.
Macrophages are thought to be the primary hiding place for HIV infection. This information is confirmed by the full resumption of infection after the destructive effects of antibodies, medications, and complete clearance of T cells. The fact that scientists have managed to discover the hiding place of the virus may become a trigger for the creation of an adequate medication for HIV-infected patients.
Treatment with antiretroviral drugs, which currently have no analogues, will not be able to completely cure the disease. The purpose of such treatment is to support the body's own immunity, to reduce the concentration of viral RNA, to slow down the growth of immunodeficiency, to increase the life expectancy of patients. Antiretroviral drugs do not destroy the virus, but only inhibit its reproduction. Often, treatment is carried out using several types of antiretroviral drugs at the same time, which gives relatively good results. However, such therapy is not able to completely rid a person of the disease.