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T Memory Stem Cells and HIV: a Long-Term Relationship

  • HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment (AL Landay, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

In analogy to many tissues in which mature, terminally differentiated cells are continuously replenished by the progeny of less differentiated, long-lasting stem cells, it has been suspected that memory T lymphocytes might contain small numbers of stem cell-like cells. However, only recently have such cells been physically identified and isolated from humans, mice, and nonhuman primates. These cells, termed “T memory stem cells” (TSCM), represent approximately 2–4 % of all circulating T lymphocytes, seem to be extremely durable, and can rapidly differentiate into more mature central memory, effector memory, and effector T cells, while maintaining their own pool size through homeostatic self-renewal. Although it is becoming increasingly evident that that these cells have critical roles for T cell homeostasis and maintaining life-long cellular immunity against microbial pathogens during physiological conditions, they also seem intrinsically involved in many key aspects of HIV/SIV disease pathogenesis. Current data suggest that CD4+ TSCM cells represent a core element of the HIV-1 reservoir in patients treated with suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART) and that relative resistance of CD4+ TSCM cells to SIV represents a distinguishing feature of non-pathogenic SIV infection in natural hosts. This article summarizes recent studies investigating the role of TSCM in HIV/SIV infection.

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Acknowledgments

AC is supported by the American Foundation for AIDS Research (grant 108905-56-RGRL) and by an NICHD Child Health Research Career Development Award (K12 HD072245). ML is supported by the American Foundation for AIDS Research (grant 108302-51-RGRL), by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (grant 2009034), and by NIH grants AI098487 and AI106468. GS is supported by NIH grant R37AI066998.

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Conflict of Interest

Ann Chahroudi, Guido Silvestri, and Mathias Lichterfeld declare that they have patent pending on Wnt pathway inhibitors for treating viral infections.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Ann Chahroudi

  2. Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Ann Chahroudi & Guido Silvestri

  3. Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Mathias Lichterfeld

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  1. Ann Chahroudi
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  2. Guido Silvestri
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  3. Mathias Lichterfeld
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Correspondence to Ann Chahroudi.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment

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Chahroudi, A., Silvestri, G. & Lichterfeld, M. T Memory Stem Cells and HIV: a Long-Term Relationship. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 12, 33–40 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11904-014-0246-4

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