1
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Mastrangelo A, Gama L, Cinque P. Strategies to target the central nervous system HIV reservoir. Curr Opin HIV AIDS 2024; 19:133-140. [PMID: 38457227 DOI: 10.1097/coh.0000000000000847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW The central nervous system (CNS) is an hotspot for HIV persistence and may be a major obstacle to overcome for curative strategies. The peculiar anatomical, tissular and cellular characteristics of the HIV reservoir in the CNS may need to be specifically addressed to achieve a long-term HIV control without ART. In this review, we will discuss the critical challenges that currently explored curative strategies may face in crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB), targeting latent HIV in brain-resident myeloid reservoirs, and eliminating the virus without eliciting dangerous neurological adverse events. RECENT FINDINGS Latency reversing agents (LRA), broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (bNabs), chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells, and adeno-associated virus 9-vectored gene-therapies cross the BBB with varying efficiency. Although brain penetration is poor for bNAbs, viral vectors for in vivo gene-editing, certain LRAs, and CAR T-cells may reach the cerebral compartment more efficiently. All these approaches, however, may encounter difficulties in eliminating HIV-infected perivascular macrophages and microglia. Safety, including local neurological adverse effects, may also be a concern, especially if high doses are required to achieve optimal brain penetration and efficient brain cell targeting. SUMMARY Targeting the CNS remains a potential problem for the currently investigated HIV curing strategies. In vivo evidence on CNS effectiveness is limited for most of the investigated strategies, and additional studies should be focused on evaluating the interplay between the cerebral HIV reservoir and treatment aiming to achieve an ART-free cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Mastrangelo
- Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Centre Hopitalier Universitaire Vaudoise (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lucio Gama
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Paola Cinque
- Unit of Infectious Diseases and Neurovirology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
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2
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Horvath RM, Brumme ZL, Sadowski I. Small molecule inhibitors of transcriptional cyclin-dependent kinases impose HIV-1 latency, presenting "block and lock" treatment strategies. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2024; 68:e0107223. [PMID: 38319085 PMCID: PMC10923280 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01072-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Current antiretroviral therapy for HIV-1 infection does not represent a cure for infection as viral rebound inevitably occurs following discontinuation of treatment. The "block and lock" therapeutic strategy is intended to enforce proviral latency and durably suppress viremic reemergence in the absence of other intervention. The transcription-associated cyclin-dependent protein kinases (tCDKs) are required for expression from the 5´ HIV-1 long-terminal repeat, but the therapeutic potential of inhibiting these kinases for enforcing HIV-1 latency has not been characterized. Here, we expanded previous observations to directly compare the effect of highly selective small molecule inhibitors of CDK7 (YKL-5-124), CDK9 (LDC000067), and CDK8/19 (Senexin A), and found each of these prevented HIV-1 provirus expression at concentrations that did not cause cell toxicity. Inhibition of CDK7 caused cell cycle arrest, whereas CDK9 and CDK8/19 inhibitors did not, and could be continuously administered to establish proviral latency. Upon discontinuation of drug administration, HIV immediately rebounded in cells that had been treated with the CDK9 inhibitor, while proviral latency persisted for several days in cells that had been treated with CDK8/19 inhibitors. These results identify the mediator kinases CDK8/CDK19 as potential "block and lock" targets for therapeutic suppression of HIV-1 provirus expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riley M. Horvath
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Molecular Epigenetics Group, LSI, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Zabrina L. Brumme
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ivan Sadowski
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Molecular Epigenetics Group, LSI, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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3
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Pincus SH, Stackhouse M, Watt C, Ober K, Cole FM, Chen HC, Smith III AB, Peters T. Soluble CD4 and low molecular weight CD4-mimetic compounds sensitize cells to be killed by anti-HIV cytotoxic immunoconjugates. J Virol 2023; 97:e0115423. [PMID: 37772823 PMCID: PMC10617435 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01154-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE HIV infection can be effectively treated to prevent the development of AIDS, but it cannot be cured. We have attached poisons to anti-HIV antibodies to kill the infected cells that persist even after years of effective antiviral therapy. Here we show that the killing of infected cells can be markedly enhanced by the addition of soluble forms of the HIV receptor CD4 or by mimics of CD4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth H. Pincus
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Megan Stackhouse
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Connie Watt
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Kelli Ober
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Frances M. Cole
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Hung-Ching Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Amos B. Smith III
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Tami Peters
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA
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4
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Gunst JD, Højen JF, Pahus MH, Rosás-Umbert M, Stiksrud B, McMahon JH, Denton PW, Nielsen H, Johansen IS, Benfield T, Leth S, Gerstoft J, Østergaard L, Schleimann MH, Olesen R, Støvring H, Vibholm L, Weis N, Dyrhol-Riise AM, Pedersen KBH, Lau JSY, Copertino DC, Linden N, Huynh TT, Ramos V, Jones RB, Lewin SR, Tolstrup M, Rasmussen TA, Nussenzweig MC, Caskey M, Reikvam DH, Søgaard OS. Impact of a TLR9 agonist and broadly neutralizing antibodies on HIV-1 persistence: the randomized phase 2a TITAN trial. Nat Med 2023; 29:2547-2558. [PMID: 37696935 PMCID: PMC10579101 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02547-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Inducing antiretroviral therapy (ART)-free virological control is a critical step toward a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) cure. In this phase 2a, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial, 43 people (85% males) with HIV-1 on ART were randomized to (1) placebo/placebo, (2) lefitolimod (TLR9 agonist)/placebo, (3) placebo/broadly neutralizing anti-HIV-1 antibodies (bNAbs) or (4) lefitolimod/bNAb. ART interruption (ATI) started at week 3. Lefitolimod was administered once weekly for the first 8 weeks, and bNAbs were administered twice, 1 d before and 3 weeks after ATI. The primary endpoint was time to loss of virologic control after ATI. The median delay in time to loss of virologic control compared to the placebo/placebo group was 0.5 weeks (P = 0.49), 12.5 weeks (P = 0.003) and 9.5 weeks (P = 0.004) in the lefitolimod/placebo, placebo/bNAb and lefitolimod/bNAb groups, respectively. Among secondary endpoints, viral doubling time was slower for bNAb groups compared to non-bNAb groups, and the interventions were overall safe. We observed no added benefit of lefitolimod. Despite subtherapeutic plasma bNAb levels, 36% (4/11) in the placebo/bNAb group compared to 0% (0/10) in the placebo/placebo group maintained virologic control after the 25-week ATI. Although immunotherapy with lefitolimod did not lead to ART-free HIV-1 control, bNAbs may be important components in future HIV-1 curative strategies. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03837756 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesper D Gunst
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jesper F Højen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Marie H Pahus
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Miriam Rosás-Umbert
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Birgitte Stiksrud
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - James H McMahon
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Paul W Denton
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Henrik Nielsen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Isik S Johansen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Thomas Benfield
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital - Amager and Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Steffen Leth
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gødstrup Hospital, Gødstrup, Denmark
| | - Jan Gerstoft
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Viro-Immunology Research Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lars Østergaard
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mariane H Schleimann
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Rikke Olesen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Henrik Støvring
- Department of Public Health, Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Line Vibholm
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Nina Weis
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital - Amager and Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anne M Dyrhol-Riise
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Karen B H Pedersen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jillian S Y Lau
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, Royal Melbourne Hospital at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Dennis C Copertino
- Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA
| | - Noemi Linden
- Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tan T Huynh
- Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA
| | - Victor Ramos
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - R Brad Jones
- Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sharon R Lewin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, Royal Melbourne Hospital at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Martin Tolstrup
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Thomas A Rasmussen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Michel C Nussenzweig
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marina Caskey
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dag Henrik Reikvam
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole S Søgaard
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
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5
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Gunst JD, Goonetilleke N, Rasmussen TA, Søgaard OS. Immunomodulation with IL-7 and IL-15 in HIV-1 infection. J Virus Erad 2023; 9:100347. [PMID: 37767312 PMCID: PMC10520363 DOI: 10.1016/j.jve.2023.100347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunomodulating agents are substances that modify the host immune responses in diseases such as infections, autoimmune conditions and cancers. Immunomodulators can be divided into two main groups: 1) immunostimulators that activate the immune system such as cytokines, toll-like receptor agonists and immune checkpoint blockers; and 2) immunosuppressors that dampen an overactive immune system such as corticosteroids and cytokine-blocking antibodies. In this review, we have focussed on the two primarily T and natural killer (NK) cell homeostatic cytokines: interleukin-7 (IL-7) and -15 (IL-15). These cytokines are immunostimulators which act on immune cells independently of the presence or absence of antigen. In vivo studies have shown that IL-7 administration enhances proliferation of circulating T cells whereas IL-15 agonists enhance the proliferation and function of NK and CD8+ T cells. Both IL-7 and IL-15 therapies have been tested as single interventions in HIV-1 cure-related clinical trials. In this review, we explore whether IL-7 and IL-15 could be part of the therapeutic approaches towards HIV-1 remission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesper D. Gunst
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Nilu Goonetilleke
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Thomas A. Rasmussen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ole S. Søgaard
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
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6
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Lisco A, Lange C, Manion M, Kuriakose S, Dewar R, Gorelick RJ, Huik K, Yu Q, Hammoud DA, Smith BR, Muranski P, Rehm C, Sherman BT, Sykes C, Lindo N, Ye P, Bricker KM, Keele BF, Fennessey CM, Maldarelli F, Sereti I. Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome drives emergence of HIV drug resistance from multiple anatomic compartments in a person living with HIV. Nat Med 2023; 29:1364-1369. [PMID: 37322122 PMCID: PMC10494392 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02387-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Reservoirs of HIV maintained in anatomic compartments during antiretroviral therapy prevent HIV eradication. However, mechanisms driving their persistence and interventions to control them remain elusive. Here we report the presence of an inducible HIV reservoir within antigen-specific CD4+T cells in the central nervous system of a 59-year-old male with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (PML-IRIS). HIV production during PML-IRIS was suppressed by modulating inflammation with corticosteroids; selection of HIV drug resistance caused subsequent breakthrough viremia. Therefore, inflammation can influence the composition, distribution and induction of HIV reservoirs, warranting it as a key consideration for developing effective HIV remission strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Lisco
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Camille Lange
- Clinical Retrovirology Section, HIV Dynamics and Replication Program National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, USA.
- Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
| | - Maura Manion
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Safia Kuriakose
- Clinical Research Directorate, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robin Dewar
- Virus Isolation and Serology Laboratory, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Robert J Gorelick
- AIDS and Cancer Virus Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Kristi Huik
- Clinical Retrovirology Section, HIV Dynamics and Replication Program National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Quan Yu
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dima A Hammoud
- Center for Infectious Disease Imaging, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Bryan R Smith
- Section of Infections of the Nervous System, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Pawel Muranski
- Hematology Branch, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Catherine Rehm
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Brad T Sherman
- Laboratory of Human Retrovirology and Immunoinformatics, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Craig Sykes
- Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Natalie Lindo
- Clinical Retrovirology Section, HIV Dynamics and Replication Program National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Peiying Ye
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Katherine M Bricker
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Brandon F Keele
- AIDS and Cancer Virus Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Christine M Fennessey
- AIDS and Cancer Virus Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Frank Maldarelli
- Clinical Retrovirology Section, HIV Dynamics and Replication Program National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, USA.
| | - Irini Sereti
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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7
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Akbari E, Seyedinkhorasani M, Bolhassani A. Conserved multiepitope vaccine constructs: A potent HIV-1 therapeutic vaccine in clinical trials. Braz J Infect Dis 2023; 27:102774. [PMID: 37156468 DOI: 10.1016/j.bjid.2023.102774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the success of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in preventing HIV-1-associated clinical progression to AIDS, it is unable to eliminate the viral reservoirs and eradicate the HIV-1 infection. Therapeutic vaccination is an alternative approach to alter the HIV-1 infection course. It can induce effective HIV-1-specific immunity to control viremia and eliminate the need for lifelong ART. Immunological data from spontaneous HIV-1 controllers have shown that cross-reactive T-cell responses are the key immune mechanism in HIV-1 control. Directing these responses toward preferred HIV-1 epitopes is a promising strategy in therapeutic vaccine settings. Designing novel immunogens based on the HIV-1 conserved regions containing a wide range of critical T- and B-cell epitopes of the main viral antigens (conserved multiepitope approaches) supplies broad coverage of global diversity in HIV-1 strains and Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) alleles. It can also prevent immune induction to undesirable decoy epitopes theoretically. The efficacy of different novel HIV-1 immunogens based on the conserved and/or functional protective site of HIV-1 proteome has been evaluated in multiple clinical trials. Most of these immunogens were generally safe and able to induce potent HIV-1-specific immunity. However, despite these findings, several candidates have demonstrated limited efficacy in viral replication control. In this study, we used the PubMed and ClinicalTrial.gov databases to review the rationale of designing curative HIV-1 vaccine immunogens based on the conserved favorable site of the virus. Most of these studies evaluate the efficacy of vaccine candidates in combination with other therapeutics and/or with new formulations and immunization protocols. This review briefly describes the design of conserved multiepitope constructs and outlines the results of these vaccine candidates in the recent clinical pipeline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elahe Akbari
- Pasteur Institute of Iran, Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Azam Bolhassani
- Pasteur Institute of Iran, Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Tehran, Iran.
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8
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Klug G, Cole FM, Hicar MD, Watt C, Peters T, Pincus SH. Identification of Anti-gp41 Monoclonal Antibodies That Effectively Target Cytotoxic Immunoconjugates to Cells Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Type 1. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11040829. [PMID: 37112741 PMCID: PMC10144985 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11040829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
We are developing cytotoxic immunoconjugates (CICs) targeting the envelope protein (Env) of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, type 1 (HIV) to purge the persistent reservoirs of viral infection. We have previously studied the ability of multiple monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to deliver CICs to an HIV-infected cell. We have found that CICs targeted to the membrane-spanning gp41 domain of Env are most efficacious, in part because their killing is enhanced in the presence of soluble CD4. The ability of a mAb to deliver a CIC does not correlate with its ability to neutralize nor mediate Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. In the current study, we seek to define the most effective anti-gp41 mAbs for delivering CICs to HIV-infected cells. To do this, we have evaluated a panel of human anti-gp41 mAbs for their ability to bind and kill two different Env-expressing cell lines: persistently infected H9/NL4-3 and constitutively transfected HEK293/92UG. We measured the binding and cytotoxicity of each mAb in the presence and absence of soluble CD4. We found that mAbs to the immunodominant helix-loop-helix region (ID-loop) of gp41 are most effective, whereas neutralizing mAbs to the fusion peptide, gp120/gp41 interface, and the membrane proximal external region (MPER) are relatively ineffective at delivering CICs. There was only a weak correlation between antigen exposure and killing activity. The results show that the ability to deliver an effective IC and neutralization are distinct functions of mAbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant Klug
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Frances M Cole
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Mark D Hicar
- Department of Pediatrics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, The University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA
| | - Connie Watt
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Tami Peters
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Seth H Pincus
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
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9
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Towards a new combination therapy with vectored immunoprophylaxis for HIV: Modeling "shock and kill" strategy. Math Biosci 2023; 355:108954. [PMID: 36525996 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2022.108954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Latently infected cells are considered as a major barrier to curing Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. Reactivation of latently infected cells followed by killing the actively infected cells may be a potential strategy ("shock and kill") to purge the latent reservoir. Based on vectored immunoprophylaxis (VIP) experiment that can elicit bNAbs, in this paper a mathematical model is formulated to explore the efficacy of "shock and kill" strategy with VIP. We derive the basic reproduction number R0 of the model and show that R0 completely determines the dynamics of the model: if R0<1, the disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable; if R0>1, the system is uniformly persistent. Numerical simulations suggest that the "shock and kill" strategy with VIP can effectively control HIV infection while this strategy cannot eradicate the reservoir without VIP although it can alleviate the HIV infection. To model the administration of drugs and vaccine more realistically, pharmacokinetics and pulse vaccination are incorporated into the model of ordinary differential equations. The resultants are described by impulsive differential equations. The thresholds are obtained for the frequency and strength of the vaccination to eliminate the viruses. Furthermore, the most appropriate times are numerically investigated for starting a short-term latency-reversing agents (LRAs) treatment relative to ART considering the toxicity of LRAs. The results show that LRAs treatment at the beginning of ART might be a better option. These results have important implications for the design of HIV cure-related clinical trials.
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10
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Berendam SJ, Nelson AN, Yagnik B, Goswami R, Styles TM, Neja MA, Phan CT, Dankwa S, Byrd AU, Garrido C, Amara RR, Chahroudi A, Permar SR, Fouda GG. Challenges and Opportunities of Therapies Targeting Early Life Immunity for Pediatric HIV Cure. Front Immunol 2022; 13:885272. [PMID: 35911681 PMCID: PMC9325996 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.885272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Early initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) significantly improves clinical outcomes and reduces mortality of infants/children living with HIV. However, the ability of infected cells to establish latent viral reservoirs shortly after infection and to persist during long-term ART remains a major barrier to cure. In addition, while early ART treatment of infants living with HIV can limit the size of the virus reservoir, it can also blunt HIV-specific immune responses and does not mediate clearance of latently infected viral reservoirs. Thus, adjunctive immune-based therapies that are geared towards limiting the establishment of the virus reservoir and/or mediating the clearance of persistent reservoirs are of interest for their potential to achieve viral remission in the setting of pediatric HIV. Because of the differences between the early life and adult immune systems, these interventions may need to be tailored to the pediatric settings. Understanding the attributes and specificities of the early life immune milieu that are likely to impact the virus reservoir is important to guide the development of pediatric-specific immune-based interventions towards viral remission and cure. In this review, we compare the immune profiles of pediatric and adult HIV elite controllers, discuss the characteristics of cellular and anatomic HIV reservoirs in pediatric populations, and highlight the potential values of current cure strategies using immune-based therapies for long-term viral remission in the absence of ART in children living with HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella J. Berendam
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States,Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States,*Correspondence: Stella J. Berendam, ; Genevieve G. Fouda,
| | - Ashley N. Nelson
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States,Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Bhrugu Yagnik
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Ria Goswami
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Tiffany M. Styles
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Margaret A. Neja
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Caroline T. Phan
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Sedem Dankwa
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Alliyah U. Byrd
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Carolina Garrido
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Rama R. Amara
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Ann Chahroudi
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States,Center for Childhood Infections and Vaccines of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Sallie R. Permar
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Genevieve G. Fouda
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States,Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States,*Correspondence: Stella J. Berendam, ; Genevieve G. Fouda,
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11
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Jiang S, Tuzikov A, Andrianov A. Small-molecule HIV-1 entry inhibitors targeting the epitopes of broadly neutralizing antibodies. Cell Chem Biol 2022; 29:757-773. [PMID: 35353988 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2022.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Highly active antiretroviral therapy currently used for HIV/AIDS has significantly increased the life expectancy of HIV-infected individuals. It has also improved the quality of life, reduced mortality, and decreased the incidence of AIDS and HIV-related conditions. Currently, however, affected individuals are typically on a lifetime course of several therapeutic drugs, all with the potential for associated toxicity and emergence of resistance. This calls for development of novel, potent, and broad anti-HIV agents able to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. Significant progress has been made toward identification of anti-HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs). However, antibody-based drugs are costly to produce and store. Administration (by injection only) and other obstacles limit clinical use. In recent years, several highly promising small-molecule HIV-1 entry inhibitors targeting the epitopes of bNAbs have been developed. These newly developed compounds are the focus of the present article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Alexander Tuzikov
- United Institute of Informatics Problems, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 220012 Minsk, Republic of Belarus
| | - Alexander Andrianov
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 220141 Minsk, Republic of Belarus.
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12
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Kjær K, Leth S, Konrad CV, Gunst JD, Nymann R, Østergaard L, Søgaard OS, Schleimann MH, Tolstrup M, Denton PW. Modest de novo Reactivation of Single HIV-1 Proviruses in Peripheral CD4+ T Cells by Romidepsin. FRONTIERS IN VIROLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fviro.2021.736395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
A cure for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) is restricted by the continued presence of a latent reservoir of memory CD4+ T cells with proviruses integrated into their DNA despite suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). A predominant strategy currently pursued in HIV-1 cure-related research is the “kick and kill” approach, where latency reversal agents (LRAs) are used to reactivate transcription from integrated proviruses. The premise of this approach is that “kicking” latent virus out of hiding allows the host immune system to recognize and kill infected cells. Clinical trials investigating the efficacy of LRAs, such as romidepsin, have shown that these interventions do induce transient spikes in viral RNA in HIV-1-infected individuals. However, since these trials failed to significantly reduce viral reservoir size or significantly delay time to viral rebound during analytical treatment interruptions, it is questioned how much each individual latent provirus is actually “kicked” to produce viral transcripts and/or proteins by the LRA. Here, we developed sensitive and specific digital droplet PCR-based assays with single-provirus level resolution. Combining these assays allowed us to interrogate the level of viral RNA transcripts from single proviruses in individuals on suppressive ART with or without concomitant romidepsin treatment. Small numbers of proviruses in peripheral blood memory CD4+ T cells were triggered to become marginally transcriptionally active upon romidepsin treatment. These novel assays can be applied retrospectively and prospectively in HIV-1 cure-related clinical trials to gain crucial insights into LRA efficacy at the single provirus level.
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13
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Nguyen K, Dobrowolski C, Shukla M, Cho WK, Luttge B, Karn J. Inhibition of the H3K27 demethylase UTX enhances the epigenetic silencing of HIV proviruses and induces HIV-1 DNA hypermethylation but fails to permanently block HIV reactivation. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1010014. [PMID: 34673825 PMCID: PMC8562785 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
One strategy for a functional cure of HIV-1 is "block and lock", which seeks to permanently suppress the rebound of quiescent HIV-1 by epigenetic silencing. For the bivalent promoter in the HIV LTR, both histone 3 lysine 27 tri-methylation (H3K27me3) and DNA methylation are associated with viral suppression, while H3K4 tri-methylation (H3K4me3) is correlated with viral expression. However, H3K27me3 is readily reversed upon activation of T-cells through the T-cell receptor. In an attempt to suppress latent HIV-1 in a stable fashion, we knocked down the expression or inhibited the activity of UTX/KDM6A, the major H3K27 demethylase, and investigated its impact on latent HIV-1 reactivation in T cells. Inhibition of UTX dramatically enhanced H3K27me3 levels at the HIV LTR and was associated with increased DNA methylation. In latently infected cells from patients, GSK-J4, which is a potent dual inhibitor of the H3K27me3/me2-demethylases JMJD3/KDM6B and UTX/KDM6A, effectively suppressed the reactivation of latent HIV-1 and also induced DNA methylation at specific sites in the 5'LTR of latent HIV-1 by the enhanced recruitment of DNMT3A to HIV-1. Nonetheless, suppression of HIV-1 through epigenetic silencing required the continued treatment with GSK-J4 and was rapidly reversed after removal of the drug. DNA methylation was also rapidly lost after removal of drug, suggesting active and rapid DNA-demethylation of the HIV LTR. Thus, induction of epigenetic silencing by histone and DNA methylation appears to be insufficient to permanently silence HIV-1 proviral transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kien Nguyen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University Medical School, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Curtis Dobrowolski
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Meenakshi Shukla
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University Medical School, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Won-Kyung Cho
- Korean Medicine (KM)-Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), Dong-gu, Daegu, Republic of Korea
| | - Benjamin Luttge
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University Medical School, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Jonathan Karn
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University Medical School, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
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14
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Umotoy JC, de Taeye SW. Antibody Conjugates for Targeted Therapy Against HIV-1 as an Emerging Tool for HIV-1 Cure. Front Immunol 2021; 12:708806. [PMID: 34276704 PMCID: PMC8282362 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.708806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Although advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART) have significantly improved the life expectancy of people living with HIV-1 (PLWH) by suppressing HIV-1 replication, a cure for HIV/AIDS remains elusive. Recent findings of the emergence of drug resistance against various ART have resulted in an increased number of treatment failures, thus the development of novel strategies for HIV-1 cure is of immediate need. Antibody-based therapy is a well-established tool in the treatment of various diseases and the engineering of new antibody derivatives is expanding the realms of its application. An antibody-based carrier of anti-HIV-1 molecules, or antibody conjugates (ACs), could address the limitations of current HIV-1 ART by decreasing possible off-target effects, reduce toxicity, increasing the therapeutic index, and lowering production costs. Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) with exceptional breadth and potency against HIV-1 are currently being explored to prevent or treat HIV-1 infection in the clinic. Moreover, bNAbs can be engineered to deliver cytotoxic or immune regulating molecules as ACs, further increasing its therapeutic potential for HIV-1 cure. ACs are currently an important component of anticancer treatment with several FDA-approved constructs, however, to date, no ACs are approved to treat viral infections. This review aims to outline the development of AC for HIV-1 cure, examine the variety of carriers and payloads used, and discuss the potential of ACs in the current HIV-1 cure landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey C Umotoy
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC), Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Steven W de Taeye
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC), Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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