Human immunodeficiency virus type 1

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1
Name	Human immunodeficiency virus type 1
Virus group	Group VI (ssRNA-RT)
Familia	Retroviridae
Genus	Lentivirus

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 is a Retroviridae Lentivirus responsible for the majority of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome cases worldwide. Discovered in the early 1980s amid investigations associated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and research groups at Institut Pasteur and National Institutes of Health, the virus has driven global responses involving World Health Organization, UNAIDS, national ministries such as the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and non-governmental organizations including MSF and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Virology and Classification

HIV‑1 is classified within the Retroviridae family and the Lentivirus genus alongside animal lentiviruses studied at institutions like Rockefeller University and University of Oxford. Taxonomic work by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses situates HIV‑1 in a group distinct from Human immunodeficiency virus type 2; comparisons have been published by researchers affiliated with Harvard University, Cambridge University, and Columbia University. Phylogenetic analyses using samples from regions such as Kinshasa, Bangui, and Cameroon have informed subtype (clade) designations A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, and circulating recombinant forms described by collaborations involving University of California, San Francisco and Pasteur Institute scientists. Viral morphology and life cycle features were detailed in studies by teams at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of Glasgow.

Genome and Proteins

The ~9.7 kb single-stranded positive-sense RNA genome encodes structural proteins (Gag, Pol, Env) and regulatory/accessory proteins (Tat, Rev, Nef, Vif, Vpr, Vpu) characterized in reports from Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, and Scripps Research Institute. Reverse transcription and integration into host chromosomal DNA via the integrase enzyme were elucidated through work at Stanford University and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Envelope glycoproteins gp120 and gp41 mediate receptor interactions with CD4 and coreceptors CCR5 or CXCR4; these receptors were identified in studies linked to Rockefeller University and University of California, San Diego. Structural biology of capsid and envelope complexes has been advanced by groups at European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Max Planck Institute, and Imperial College London.

Transmission and Pathogenesis

Transmission routes include sexual contact, blood exposure, perinatal transmission, and breastfeeding; public health guidance has been shaped by agencies such as United Kingdom Department of Health and Social Care, Australian Department of Health, and South African Department of Health. The pathogenesis features acute infection, establishment of reservoirs in lymphoid tissues and central nervous system compartments studied by investigators at Mayo Clinic and Karolinska Institutet. Host factors including CCR5-Δ32 polymorphism and HLA alleles influence susceptibility and progression; genetics research has been undertaken at Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Broad Institute, and University of Cambridge. Viral latency, immune evasion via glycan shields and Nef-mediated modulation of HLA, and chronic immune activation have been topics at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Vanderbilt University.

Clinical Manifestations and Disease Progression

Acute HIV infection often presents with non-specific febrile illness; progression to AIDS is defined by opportunistic infections such as Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, Mycobacterium tuberculosis co-infection, and malignancies like Kaposi's sarcoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma—conditions managed in clinical centers including Mayo Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Tata Memorial Hospital. Clinical staging systems developed by World Health Organization and national programs guide care. Long-term complications include neurocognitive disorders studied at Johns Hopkins Hospital and cardiometabolic disease investigated at Cleveland Clinic.

Diagnosis and Monitoring

Diagnostic modalities include serologic assays, antigen tests (p24), nucleic acid amplification testing and point-of-care rapid tests deployed by organizations such as CDC, Médecins Sans Frontières, and Clinton Health Access Initiative. Viral load quantification and CD4+ T-cell enumeration performed in laboratories at Emory University and University of Washington inform treatment decisions. Molecular surveillance and resistance testing are carried out by reference labs including Public Health England and Institut Pasteur de Dakar.

Treatment and Prevention

Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) using nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, protease inhibitors, integrase strand transfer inhibitors, and entry inhibitors was developed through trials at NIH Clinical Center, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and University of Cape Town. Pre-exposure prophylaxis programs promoted by WHO, UNAIDS, and national programs utilize drugs evaluated in trials led by University of Minnesota, University of Amsterdam, and Hôpital Saint-Louis. Prevention strategies include needle-exchange programs supported by Harm Reduction International and prevention of mother-to-child transmission protocols implemented by UNICEF and UNFPA. Research toward vaccines and cure strategies involves collaborations among Vaccine Research Center, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, and academic centers like University of Pennsylvania.

Epidemiology and Public Health Impact

HIV‑1 epidemiology has been tracked by UNAIDS, WHO, and national surveillance systems in countries including United States, South Africa, Brazil, India, Russia, and China. Epidemic patterns show regional predominance of subtypes—clade B in the United States and Western Europe, clade C in Southern Africa and India—with public health responses coordinated by agencies like Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and funded by initiatives such as the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Social and economic impacts have involved institutions such as World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Gates Foundation, and academic analyses from Harvard School of Public Health and London School of Economics, influencing global health policy and research priorities.

Category:Retroviruses