Hence, HIV-1 Env-mediated signals triggered in the cells susceptible to infection become a target of interest, since they induce cellular mechanisms involved in immune response (both innate and adaptive) (Blanco et al., 2003; Altfeld and Gale, 2015) among which is the autophagy process (Espert et al., 2006, 2007; Rotger et al., 2011; Nardacci et al., 2014, 2017). This evidence concerns the gene ERVW-1 and infection.