%0 Journal Article
%T Emerging PCR-Based Techniques to Study HIV-1 Reservoir Persistence.
%A Lambrechts L
%A Cole B
%A Rutsaert S
%A Trypsteen W
%A Vandekerckhove L
%J Viruses
%V 12
%N 2
%D 01 2020 28
%M 32012811
%F 5.818
%R 10.3390/v12020149
%X While current antiretroviral therapies are able to halt HIV-1 progression, they are not curative, as an interruption of treatment usually leads to viral rebound. The persistence of this stable HIV-1 latent reservoir forms the major barrier in HIV-1 cure research. The need for a better understanding of the mechanisms behind reservoir persistence resulted in the development of several novel assays allowing to perform an extensive in-depth characterization. The objective of this review is to present an overview of the current state-of-the-art PCR-based technologies to study the replication-competent HIV-1 reservoir. Here, we outline the advantages, limitations, and clinical relevance of different approaches. Future HIV-1 eradication studies would benefit from information-rich, high-throughput assays as they provide a more efficient and standardized way of characterizing the persisting HIV-1 reservoir.