Distinct advancements and challenges in HIV 1 vaccine development and cure—A review

Principles of Immunotherapy: Implications for Treatment Strategies in Cancer and Infectious Diseases

The advances in cancer biology and pathogenesis during the past two decades, have resulted in immunotherapeutic strategies that have revolutionized the treatment of malignancies, from relatively non-selective toxic agents to specific, mechanism-based therapies. Despite extensive global efforts, infectious diseases remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, necessitating novel, innovative therapeutics that address the current challenges of increasing antimicrobial resistance. Similar to cancer pathogenesis, infectious pathogens successfully fashion a hospitable environment within the host and modulate host metabolic functions to support their nutritional requirements, while suppressing host defenses by altering regulatory mechanisms. These parallels, and the advances made in targeted therapy in cancer, may inform the rational development of therapeutic interventions for infectious diseases. Although "immunotherapy" is habitually associated with the treatment of cancer, this review accentuates the evolving role of key targeted immune interventions that are approved, as well as those in development, for various cancers and infectious diseases. The general features of adoptive therapies, those that enhance T cell effector function, and ligand-based therapies, that neutralize or eliminate diseased cells, are discussed in the context of specific diseases that, to date, lack appropriate remedial treatment; cancer, HIV, TB, and drug-resistant bacterial and fungal infections. The remarkable diversity and versatility that distinguishes immunotherapy is emphasized, consequently establishing this approach within the armory of curative therapeutics, applicable across the disease spectrum.

HIV-1 Tat biosensor: Current development and trends for early detection strategies

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has infected almost 35 million people worldwide. Various tests have been developed to detect the presence of HIV during the early stages of the disease in order to reduce the risk of transmission to other humans. The HIV-1 Tat protein is one of the proteins present in HIV that are released abundantly approximately 2-4 weeks after infection. In this review, we have outlined various strategies for detecting the Tat protein, which helps transcribe the virus and enhances replication. Detection strategies presented include immunoassays, biosensors and gene expression, which utilize antibodies or aptamers as common probes to sense the presence of Tat. Alternatively, measuring the levels of gene transcription is a direct method of analysing the HIV gene to confirm the presence of Tat. By detection of the Tat protein, virus transmission can be detected in high-risk individuals in the early stages of the disease to reduce the risk of an HIV pandemic.