Resistance of HIV-infected cells to cytotoxic T lymphocytes.

Although cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are important for controlling HIV, CTLs are not effective at eradicating HIV infection. Recent studies have revealed a combination of factors that together make HIV-infected cells resistant to CTLs and make anti-HIV CTLs ineffective. These factors likely contribute to prolonged survival of infected target cells, which in turn increases the probability of antigenic variation and immune escape.