Anticancer drug activates latent HIV
Last reviewed: 23.11.2021
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A synthetic preparation has just been reported that triggers the signaling pathway, activating latent HIV, dormant within the T cells. And here is the new important information on the same topic, coming from the University of North Carolina (USA): one of the drugs used in the treatment of certain types of lymphomas, is able to drive out a latent, invisible for antiviral drugs human immunodeficiency virus.
As is known, the existence of reservoir cells containing latent HIV present in them in a dormant state and not exposed to antiretroviral drugs is the main reason for the immediate return of infection as soon as the patient discontinues therapy. Obviously, to defeat HIV, you need to find a way to clean such "tanks".
Scientists from North Carolina under the guidance of Dr. David Margolis conducted a series of experiments to determine the potential suitability of vorinostat, an anti-cancer drug, a representative of the class of inhibitors of deacetylase, for activation and destruction of a sleeping HIV. Preliminary in-vitro experiments to measure HIV activity levels in CD4 + T immune cells have shown that vorinostat is really capable of disturbing a dormant virus.
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After laboratory success, the doctors put the experiment on humans, as a target, selecting eight bold ones with a stably zero number of virus particles in the blood (HIV is completely suppressed by therapy). And here is the result: patients taking vorinostat, demonstrated almost five-fold increase in the level of viral RNA in CD4 + T-cells. Thus, it was once again proved that the virus was successfully activated.
Thus, this work was the first to show the potential of the deacetylase inhibitor in the treatment of latent HIV (together with antiretroviral drugs).