Researchers at the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) at Heidelberg University Hospital have decoded a previously unknown mechanism by which HIV-1 selects its integration targets in the human genome. A research team led by DZIF scientist Dr. Marina Lusic identified RNA:DNA hybrids (R-loops) as molecular signposts for the virus. These findings reveal a key vulnerability in the life cycle of HIV-1. The results, published in the renowned journal Nature Microbiology, provide new therapeutic approaches for specifically controlling HIV reservoirs in the body. This has been one of the biggest obstacles to long-term or curative HIV therapies.