So let us summarize the tactic of HIV real quick before we move on: By infecting Dendritic Cells, the virus gets a taxi into HIV heaven: The lymph nodes, which are filled top to bottom with Helper T Cells. HIV can build reservoirs in these cells and stay hidden indefinitely. When Helper T Cells begin to proliferate massively, they do so at lymph nodes, which is the ideal place for HIV to also make millions of new viruses. So the place that is most central to building protection against viruses is completely taken over and actually becomes a weak point.
