C-C chemokine receptor type five (CCR5): An emerging target for the control of HIV infection

When HIV was initially discovered as the causative agent of AIDS, many expected to find a vaccine within a few years. This has however proven to be elusive; it has been approximately 30 years since HIV was first discovered, and a suitable vaccine is still not in effect. In 2009, a paper published by Nutter et al. reported on a bone marrow transplant performed on an HIV positive individual using stem cells that were derived from a donor who was homozygous for a mutation in the CCR5 gene known as CCR5 della-32 (Delta 32) (Huller et al.. 2009). The HIV positive individual became HIV negative and remained free of viral detection after transplantation despite having halted anti-refroviral (ARV) treatment. This review will focus on CCR5 as a key component in HIV immunity and will discuss the rule of CCR5 in the control of HIV infection. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.