Mechanisms of HIV Infection


Regarding your article, "Researchers Dissect the Mechanisms of HIV Infection,"1 in my opinion, DC-SIGN researchers have neglected an important means of HIV-1 and dendrite attachment important to the HIV-1 infection process. As HIV-1 buds from the host cell of replication membrane during its budding maturation process, many different host cell molecules are incorporated into the HIV-1 viral envelope. Among these budding acquired molecules (BAMs) are functional ICAM-2 and ICAM-3, DC-SIGN's natural ligands, per your article. Once incorporated into HIV-1's viral envelope, these ICAM-2 and ICAM-3 (BAMs) could serve to attach HIV-1 to dendrites via binding/attachment interactions with DC-SIGN present on the dendrite cellular membrane, thereby facilitating in trans HIV-1 infection of T cells akin to what is suggested for HIV-1 gp120 and DC-SIGN interactions.

A better understanding of this and other BAMs actions are very important to the design of a therapeutic and preventive HIV-1...

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