TY - JOUR
T1 - Genetic and epigenetic regulation of natural resistance to HIV-1 infection
T2 - new approaches to unveil the HESN secret
AU - Fenizia, Claudio
AU - Saulle, Irma
AU - Clerici, Mario
AU - Biasin, Mara
PY - 2020/4/1
Y1 - 2020/4/1
N2 - Introduction: Since the identification of HIV, several studies reported the unusual case of small groups of subjects showing natural resistance to HIV infection. These subjects are referred to as HIV-1–exposed seronegative (HESN) individuals and include people located in different areas, with diverse ethnic backgrounds and routes of exposure. The mechanism/s responsible for protection from infection in HESN individuals are basically indefinite and most likely are multifactorial. Areas covered: Host factors, including genetic background as well as natural and acquired immunity, have all been associated with this phenomenon. Recently, epigenetic factors have been investigated as possible determinants of reduced susceptibility to HIV infection. With the advent of the OMICS era, the availability of techniques such as GWAS, RNAseq, and exome-sequencing in both bulk cell populations and single cells will likely lead to great strides in the understanding of the HESN mystery. Expert opinion: The employment of increasingly sophisticated techniques is allowing the gathering of enormous amounts of data. The integration of such information will provide important hints that could lead to the identification of viral and host correlates of protection against HIV infection, allowing the development of more effective preventative and therapeutic regimens.
AB - Introduction: Since the identification of HIV, several studies reported the unusual case of small groups of subjects showing natural resistance to HIV infection. These subjects are referred to as HIV-1–exposed seronegative (HESN) individuals and include people located in different areas, with diverse ethnic backgrounds and routes of exposure. The mechanism/s responsible for protection from infection in HESN individuals are basically indefinite and most likely are multifactorial. Areas covered: Host factors, including genetic background as well as natural and acquired immunity, have all been associated with this phenomenon. Recently, epigenetic factors have been investigated as possible determinants of reduced susceptibility to HIV infection. With the advent of the OMICS era, the availability of techniques such as GWAS, RNAseq, and exome-sequencing in both bulk cell populations and single cells will likely lead to great strides in the understanding of the HESN mystery. Expert opinion: The employment of increasingly sophisticated techniques is allowing the gathering of enormous amounts of data. The integration of such information will provide important hints that could lead to the identification of viral and host correlates of protection against HIV infection, allowing the development of more effective preventative and therapeutic regimens.
KW - Epigenetic
KW - HESN
KW - HIV-1 resistance
KW - miRNA
KW - OMICS approaches
KW - polymorphisms
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U2 - 10.1080/1744666X.2020.1732820
DO - 10.1080/1744666X.2020.1732820
M3 - Review article
C2 - 32085689
AN - SCOPUS:85081226545
JO - Expert Review of Clinical Immunology
JF - Expert Review of Clinical Immunology
SN - 1744-666X
ER -