While HIV-1 infects T but not B cells, it nevertheless impairs the function of B cells and thereby contribute to the failure to produce neutralizing antibodies. In this issue, Kaw et al describe the mechanisms leading to this failure and report a key role for the HIV-1 protein NEF in preventing B-cell maturation into antibody-producing plasma cells.
© 2020 The Authors. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.