HIV hides in different parts of the body by embedding itself into the DNA of cells in a tissue-specific manner, offering new insights into why the virus is so difficult to eliminate and cure – even decades after infection and treatment.
This is according to a study – “Early pandemic HIV-1 integration site preferences differ across anatomical sites” by Hinissan P. Kohio, Hannah O. Ajoge, Emile A. Barua, Stephen D. Barr, et al – that appeared in Communications Medicine.
In a gist: HIV cloaks itself in the DNA of infected cells using unique DNA patterns in the brain, blood and parts of the digestive tract. For example, in the brain, the virus avoids genes and hides in less active parts of the DNA.
For this study, the researchers used rare tissue samples from people living with the virus during the early years of the HIV/AIDS pandemic (around 1993), before modern treatment existed. This gave the researchers a unique opportunity to look at how the virus behaved in its natural state across different organs – all within the same individuals.
They investigated historic samples taken from the esophagus, blood, stomach, small intestine and colon of individuals with unmatched brain tissue from other individuals. They evaluated how often the virus integrated into specific regions of the genome and compared these patterns across various tissues from different individuals.
“Knowing where the virus hides in our genomes will help us identify ways to target those cells and tissues with targeted therapeutic approaches – either by eliminating these cells or ‘silencing’ the virus,” said van Marle.
They found that HIV doesn’t integrate randomly. Instead, it follows unique patterns in different tissues, possibly shaped by the local environment and immune responses.
“This helps explain how HIV manages to persist in the body for decades, and why certain tissues may act as reservoirs of infection,” Barr said.
