目前,美国国立癌症研究所Robert Gallo认为,HTLV-Ⅲ/LAV感染是通过细胞传播,不是经过病毒颗粒。他的关于感染传播的设想是:当一个供者的细胞被一个受者细胞识别时,便会出现一种综合的淋巴细胞反应,随后释放出激活该病毒基因[包括转活化转录基因(tat)]始动序列的淋巴因子,进而引致新感染宿主的病毒表达。这一机制有可能解释HTLV-Ⅲ/LAV通过接触传染性不强,而部分须经含有淋巴细胞的体液传播的原因。 Currently, the National Cancer Institute Robert Gallo believes that HTLV-III / LAV infection is transmitted through the cell, not through the virus particles. His idea of ​​transmission of infection is that when a donor’s cells are recognized by a recipient cell, an integrated lymphocyte reaction occurs, followed by the release of genes that activate the virus [including the transactivation of the transcriptional gene (tat) ] Initiating sequence of lymphokines, which in turn leads to viral expression in newly infected hosts. This mechanism is likely to explain why HTLV-III / LAV is not contagious through contact but is partially spread by body fluids containing lymphocytes.