What are HIV reservoirs?

HIV reservoirs are specifically defined as sanctuaries where the virus persists despite antiretroviral treatment. These reservoirs can occur in various places within the body, including lymphatic tissues and certain immune cells, where HIV can remain dormant or replicate at low levels. This means that even when a person is on effective therapy that suppresses the viral load to undetectable levels, the virus may not be completely eradicated due to its presence in these reservoirs.

Understanding the concept of reservoirs is critical for comprehending why HIV cannot yet be fully cured and informs strategies for therapies and vaccine development. In contrast, the other choices describe functions or areas related to the immune response but do not specifically pertain to the survival of HIV despite treatment, which makes option B the correct choice.