57LATENT HIV INFECTION: A HURDLE TO ACHIEVE HIV CUREActivated CD4 T cells, the major targets cells for HIV-1, become infected and survive long enough to persist indefinitely even in patients on potent antiretroviral therapy. This latent reservoir is recognized as a major barrier to curing HIV-1 infection. The molecular mechanisms of latency are complex and include the absence in resting CD4T cells of nuclear forms of key host transcription factors (e.g., NFkB and NFAT), the absence of Tat and associated host factors that promote efficient transcriptional elongation, epigenetic changes inhibiting HIV-1 gene expression, and transcriptional interference. These viruses are released from latently infected cells that have become activated and perhaps from other stable reservoirs but are blocked from additional rounds of replication by the drugs. This article focuses on these basic mechanisms of HIV-1 virus latency and some recent therapeutic approaches that are aimed at achieving a state of complete viral eradication.dranjalitomar@gmail.comReview422014latency,HIV,HIV cureAkhilesh Tomar,Anjali Kushwah Department of Microbiology, R. D. Gardi Medical College, Ujjain, (MP),Department of Pharmacology, G.R. Medical College, Gwalior (MP)