Defective HIV proviruses prevent cure

Proteins created by defective forms of HIV associate with immune systems are monitored by cytotoxic T cells.

HIV proviruses are many in HIV patients, the faulty proteins they produce can hinder measurement of viral load, exhaust immune systems and prevent suppression of the virus.

Researchers are trying to hypermutate the proviruses and destroy defective HIV proviruses and develop cure for HIV infection.

Scientists collected defective HIV proviruses from 9 HIV patients and transfected cultures of human immune cells in laboratory.

It was discovered that the transfected human immune cells were capable of making HIV protein despite mutations.

Defective proviruses contribute to viral RNA and protein production and increase the viral load of HIV patients.