Developing CAR T and CAR NK cells for HIV-1 eradication

Abstract

Since HIV-1 was first discovered in the early 1980s, this virus has killed nearly 400,000 people around the world. However, up to now, there is no known cure for HIV-1 infection, because the removal of the HIV-1 repository is unreachable. In recent years, scientists began to apply the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), an immunotherapy that has made great progress in hematological malignancies treatment, to the remedy of people infected with HIV-1, hoping to "kill" the virus completely after "shock" treatment. This review discussed the latest research progress of different types of CAR T cells, including CD4-based, scFv-based, and bi-/tri-specific CAR T cells, in HIV-1 therapy, and their advantages and limitations in detail. Additionally, it also briefly reviewed the function of NK cells in fighting HIV-1 infection and summarized the research results of CAR NK cells in AIDS treatment.