Platelets Target the Circulating HIV Reservoir: Implications for Immunological Failure

HIV/AIDS is a chronic disease that is difficult to eradicate because the virus persists as proviral DNA integrated into the host cells. Despite antiretroviral therapy, proviral DNA persists in lymphoid and myeloid reservoirs, whether circulating (memory CD4+ T cells) or tissue-based (macrophages). HIV reservoirs are highly heterogeneous, making it difficult to identify a specific biomarker or cell profile for a given reservoir. A distinctive feature of HIV reservoirs may be the selective interaction between reservoir cells and platelets. The presence of HIV in platelets could impact disease progression, particularly by triggering the reversal of HIV latency and leading to residual viral production. The frequency of platelets containing circulating virus in the blood is approximately 0.1% of the total platelet volume. Although seemingly negligible, this would represent a daily input of 10