The Role of NK Cells in HIV Infection

Dear Colleagues,

Despite the increased access to effective HIV-1 treatment, HIV-1 remains a global burden, emphasising the unmet global need for an effective and durable preventive or therapeutic strategies. In addition to enhancing adaptive immune response, engaging the key components of innate immune responses that shape and improve adaptive immunity, and further exploiting immunological memory beyond those driven by B- or T-cells could be beneficial for HIV-1 strategies. NK cells play an important role in antiviral immunity and can confer early host protection against viral infections. Over the years, insights into their role in controlling HIV-1 replication and their capacity to regulate T and B cell responses, have put NK cells as a key focus for research. More recently, the identification of NK cell subsets with adaptive or “memory” characteristics, represents an innovative approach to augmenting vaccines/ therapies in viral infections, following their substantial promise in the cancer field.

Under this Research Topic, we welcome the Original Research Articles and Reviews that investigate cellular, transcriptional and epigenetic changes of NK cells in response to HIV-1 infection, their involvement in mediating long-term viral control and their potential as a target for HIV-1 cure strategies. 

The following directions are especially welcome:

1. Identification of previously underappreciated NK cell signatures associated with disease progression and/or long-term control;
2. Investigation of tissue-resident NK cells and their involvement in modulating viral reservoirs, particularly within key tissue compartments such as lymph nodes;
3. The balance between NK cell antiviral mechanisms and responses contributing to immunopathology;
4. The potential use of NK cells as a therapeutic agent in HIV-1 cure strategies and the current challenges in advocating NK cell therapy.

Dr. Dimitra Peppa
Dr. Aljawharah Alrubayyi
Guest Editors

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• human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
• natural killer (NK) cells
• viral infection
• HIV immunotherapy
• adaptive NK cells