Implication of cell-in-cell structures in the transmission of HIV to epithelial cells

Dear Editor, Chronic virus infection, such as infection by Ep- stein-Barr virus （EBV）, hepatitis B/C virus （HBV/HCV） and human immunodeficiency virus （HIV）, constitutes major public health concerns. Although efforts in de- ciphering the mechanisms underlying their virological consequences have greatly improved clinical prevention and therapy, various challenges, such as virus tropism drifting, remain to be addressed to develop effective clin- ical interventions. While cell-free viruses usually infect target cells via binding to specific receptors, the presence of virions in non-susceptible cells has been reported with the mechanisms poorly understood .