CAR-T Cell Therapy for HIV Cure: Current Challenges, Advances and Future Directions

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) effectively suppresses HIV replication but fails to eradicate latent reservoirs, leading to viral rebound after interruption. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy offers a potential strategy to achieve durable remission. A systematic PubMed search (July 2020-June 2025) identified 253 studies on CAR-T therapy in HIV; 74 met inclusion criteria and were qualitatively analyzed. Preclinical data showed that CAR-T cells can recognize and eliminate infected cells, reach viral reservoirs, and persist long term, particularly when derived from hematopoietic stem cells. Dual-target and combination approaches with checkpoint inhibitors or latency-reversing agents enhanced antiviral efficacy. Early clinical studies confirmed safety and modest reservoir reduction. CAR-T cell therapy represents a promising step toward a functional HIV cure. Further optimization of design, integration with gene-editing technologies, and standardized clinical evaluation are required to confirm durable efficacy and safety.