Immune Responses in Controllers of HIV Infection

Elite controllers are a heterogeneous group of people living with HIV who control viral replication without antiretroviral therapy. There is substantial evidence that at least some elite controllers are infected with replication-competent virus, thus they may serve as a model of a functional cure of HIV. The mechanisms responsible for virologic control have been actively studied. The most objective data support CD8(+) T cell-based mechanisms of control, but other immune responses, mediated by antibodies and natural killer cells, may also play a role in controlling viral replication. In this article, we review the evidence for different mechanisms of immune control in these remarkable individuals.