HIV infects the CD cells in your body to reproduce itself. These cells are part of your immune system and help to protect your body against illness. Some CD4 cells are stored in your body for future use. To respond to an inflammation or a flu virus, for example. If a CD4 cel that is infected with HIV is stored, then the cell (and the HIV) is dormant. These inactive CD4 cells with HIV are known as the HIV reservoir.
These reservoir cells are found in different parts of the body. From your gut to your brain. People living with HIV who started HIV treatment a long time after infection have a larger HIV reservoir than people who started on HIV treatment soon after infection.
HIV cure research is exploring ways to ‘wake up’ the HIV reservoir so that your immune system can clear it. This is called shock and kill.
Researchers are also working on an approach for permanently trapping the cells in the HIV reservoir, so that it can never become active. This is called block and lock.