ORAL PRESENTATION Open Access The ins and outs of HIV restriction

The interaction of viruses with their human host is a constant war. After the virus infiltrates the body the journey to target cell is fraught with danger. Once it interacts with the target cell a new battle, against the cell’s intrinsic factors that restrict replication, begins. For human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) several restriction factors, including APOBEC3 (apolipoprotein-B-mRNA-editing-enzyme), SAMHD1, p21 and tetherin are described. Materials and methods An siRNA screen of ~20,000 human genes was used to uncover those involved in inhibition of HIV replication. Results 114 genes were identified to be potentially involved in intrinsic resistance. The mechanism of restriction for sev