In the present study, we demonstrate that unlike chronic progressors, dendritic cells from elite controllers have the ability to effectively mount cell-intrinsic type I IFN secretion in response to HIV-1 infection, likely through an accumulation of viral reverse transcripts that serve as substrates for the cytosolic DNA sensor cGAS (cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate (GMP-AMP) synthase). Here, CGAS is linked to HIV-1 infection.