HIV Restriction Factors and Their Ambiguous Role during Infection

Resumo

Currently, more than 37 million individuals worldwide are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Antiretroviral therapy may control the viral infection but is incapable of eradicating it. It is important to understand how cells respond to HIV-1 infection and what cellular factors are involved in this process to develop novel classes of antiviral drugs. This review summarizes the current understanding of the HIV restriction mechanism. We discuss the ambiguous role of HIV restriction factors in viral infection and counteraction mediated by HIV-1 accessory proteins.