'Loop'hole: HIV-1 hijacks human immune cells using circular RNAs

Researchers have identified a never-before-seen mechanism that enables HIV-1 to evade the body's natural defenses and use it to support its survival and replication. The 'loophole' is a biological process that involves circular RNAs and marks the first experimental evidence of HIV-1 generating them from an integrated retroviral genome. Findings point to a novel strategy the virus uses to survive, providing a new target in the fight against one of the world's most resilient pathogens.

Researchers have identified a never-before-seen mechanism that enables HIV-1 to evade the body's natural defenses and use it to support its survival and replication. The 'loophole' is a biological process that involves circular RNAs and marks the first experimental evidence of HIV-1 generating them from an integrated retroviral genome. Findings point to a novel strategy the virus uses to survive, providing a new target in the fight against one of the world's most resilient pathogens.

Read more https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250513112146.htm