Modelling the HIV persistence through the network of lymphocyte recirculation in vivo

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is able to persist in cellular and/or anatomical viral reservoirs, despite the effective inhibition of virus replication by the antiretroviral therapy (ART). Here we develop a mathematical model to gain some insights of HIV persistence relevant to the lymphocyte recirculation network of immune system and the central nervous system (CNS). Our simulations and analyses illustrate the role of the CNS as a virus reservoir to prevent antiretroviral drugs from penetrating the blood-brain (or blood-testis) barrier, and we examine the long-term impact of this reservoir on the transmissibility of an infected individual. We observe numerically that level of HIV in peripheral blood may not accurately reflect the true mechanisms occurring within other organs.