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Resistance to HIV Infection

  • HIV Perspectives After 25 Years
  • Published:
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Abstract

The biological correlates of an effective immune response that could contain or prevent HIV infection remain elusive despite substantial scientific accomplishments in understanding the interactions among the virus, the individual and the community. The observation that some individuals appear to possess resistance to HIV infection or its consequences has generated a host of epidemiologic investigations to identify biological or behavioral characteristics of these individuals. These data might hold the keys to developing appropriate strategies for mimicking the effective responses of those who appear immune. In this paper we review genetic mechanisms including the role of chemokines and their receptors, cytokines, host genetic immune response to HIV infection, local immune response correlating with behavioral variables, co-infection and immune based mechanisms that have been elucidated so far. We offer suggestions for how to use these observations as platforms for future research to further understand natural resistance to HIV infection through cohort studies, population genotype sampling, mathematical modeling of virus–host interactions and behavioral analyses.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported in part by grant AI057127 and Center for AIDS Research grant AI27742 from the National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, and grant DA15303 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health. S. Thomas is supported by NIH training grant 5T32 AI007382.

Financial arrangements: Dr. Marmor is principal investigator on several contracts from Merck & Co. Inc., to conduct clinical trials of HIV vaccines.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 650 First Avenue, Room 560, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    M. Marmor PhD

  2. Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    M. Marmor PhD

  3. The Center for AIDS Research, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    M. Marmor PhD

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  1. M. Marmor PhD
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  2. K. Hertzmark
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  3. S. M. Thomas
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  4. P. N. Halkitis
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  5. M. Vogler
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Correspondence to M. Marmor PhD.

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Marmor, Hertzmark and Thomas are with the Department of Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, 650 First Avenue, Room 560, New York, NY 10016, USA; Marmor is with the Department of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Marmor, Hertzmark, Thomas, and Halkitis are with the The Center for AIDS Research, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA. Halkitis is with the Department of Applied Psychology, New York University Steinhardt School of Education, New York, NY, USA; Vogler is with the Division of International Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell College of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

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Marmor, M., Hertzmark, K., Thomas, S.M. et al. Resistance to HIV Infection. JURH 83, 5–17 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-005-9003-8

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