# Post-Translational Modifications in HIV Infection: Novel Antiretroviral Strategies

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how post-translational modifications in HIV infection could lead to new treatments that target latent virus reservoirs.

## Contribution

The paper identifies PTMs as novel therapeutic targets for activating latent HIV and enhancing host defenses.

## Key findings

- PTMs regulate HIV infection by both enhancing host restriction factors and contributing to latency.
- Acetylation, phosphorylation, and palmitoylation are among PTMs linked to HIV infection.
- PTMs offer potential for developing therapies that target latent HIV reservoirs.

## Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection remains a major global health burden. Untreated HIV infection leads to CD4+ T-cell depletion and severe immune dysfunction, resulting in opportunistic infections, neoplastic changes, and death. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is currently the standard treatment for HIV infection, but it cannot eliminate latent reservoirs. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) regulate protein trafficking, function, and degradation, and their in-depth investigation plays a crucial role in identifying novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. PTMs exert a central regulatory role in HIV infection by both enhancing host restriction factors and contributing to latent infection. This dual role offers novel insights into potential therapeutic targets for activating latent viruses to make them visible to the immune system. This review highlights numerous PTMs associated with HIV infection, including acetylation, phosphorylation, palmitoylation, etc., and assesses their potential for curing HIV infection.