HIV Life Cycle In order for HIV-1 to reproduce, it infects a CD4 bearing target cell. There are many cells throughout the body that express varying levels of CD4. Like all virus particles, HIV is not technically alive, but rather can be viewed as a piece of genetic material coated with a “protein and sugar body”. For HIV to remain alive and to reproduce, it needs to hi-jack cells of the infected person; those that co-express CD4 receptors and chemokine receptors. HIV is a unique virus because it