Figure 1.

Different strategies for HIV-1 cure. From top to bottom. Shock and kill relies on reversal of latency using a range of different compounds including TLR agonists and HDACis, followed by CTL mediated cell clearance, whilst ART blocks new infections caused by virus release. Lock in and apoptosis utilizes latency reversal agents, as well as a Pr55Gag inhibitor to block virus budding from the cell. The build-up of viral RNA and proteins leads to apoptosis of the infected cell. Block and lock approaches aim to reinforce latency mechanisms by using siRNAs or Tat inhibitors to disrupt cellular epigenetic regulators or viral replication, respectively (red cells represent HIV-1 latently infected cells).