Differences in HIV-1 reservoir size, landscape characteristics and decay dynamics in acute and chronic treated HIV-1 Clade C infection

Persisting HIV reservoir viruses in resting CD4 T cells and other cellular subsets are the main barrier to cure efforts. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) intensification by early initiation has been shown to enable post-treatment viral control in some cases but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. We hypothesized that ART initiated during the hyperacute phase of infection before peak will affect the size, decay dynamics and landscape characteristics of HIV-1 subtype C viral reservoirs.