Dendritic cell-specific ICAM-3 grabbing-nonintegrin (DC-SIGN, encoded by CD209) is a C-type lectin that binds to many pathogens including HIV-1 [13] . This interaction with HIV-1 leads to viral capture and subsequent transmission to adjacent T cells [14, 15] . DC-SIGN is expressed on the cell surface of myeloid dendritic cells and some macrophage subsets including Hofbauer cells present in the placenta [13, 16] . In the context of HIV-1, DC-SIGN may not only promote trans-infection of T cells but signalling initiated by HIV-1 binding may also influence immune responses and enhance productive infection of the dendritic cells themselves [17] [18] [19] .