HIV/SIV basic research update

About this Research Topic

Background

Almost 40 years have passed since the discovery of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) as a major etiological agent for human acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). While it appears to be less pathogenic and transmittable than HIV-1, HIV-2 is also a causative virus for AIDS. As all virologists and scientists in the relevant research fields recognize, the HIV-1 and HIV-2 studies, especially those on HIV-1, have been the main engine and driving force for the progression of virology and its related disciplines.

Accumulated evidence has demonstrated that HIV-1 and HIV-2 originated from simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs) persistent in non-human primates in Africa. HIV-1 is well known to be strictly tropic for humans as a most outstanding virus property. The process for its emergence in human populations is a critical scientific issue for a wide variety of virologists to solve experimentally and/or in silico. Similarly, its unique and marked tropism for natural target cells has been a major subject for investigation.

Even if we only talk about the basic science, we keep learning the contemporary biology through the HIV-1 virology established so far. We now know much more about the functional and structural details of viral proteins, virus species tropism, cellular tropism, adaptive mutations and evolution, virus-host conflict and interaction, viral immunology, virus spread and transmission among populations, viral persistence, etc. As is evident from currently published reports and articles, relevant HIV/SIV studies of high biological significance are actively ongoing now. The HIV/SIV study always generates biologically important concepts and also promotes technological innovations for scientific research. It is about time in this challenging period for fighting against SARS-CoV-2 to sum up our achievements on HIV/SIV studies so far and to seriously consider what future projects should be.

The subjects covered in this Research Topic include, but are not limited to:
- Biology and molecular biology of HIV/SIV
- HIV/SIV genetics
- Tropism of HIV/SIV
- Cellular factors interacting with HIV/SIV
- HIV/SIV mutation, adaptation, evolution
- Structural and functional analysis of HIV/SIV genomes and proteins
- Model studies on HIV/SIV replication and pathogenicity

We accept the submissions of the following article types: Original Research, Brief Research Report, Review, Mini Review, Perspective, and Opinion. We are looking forward to receiving your highly motivated contributions.

Keywords: HIV/SIV, viral genomes, viral proteins, replication, evolution, pathogenicity, tropism, cell factors

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