October 2, 2013 I HIV’s unique biology poses several barriers to its eradication. The development of a prophylactic vaccine poses several challenges, including viral diversity (different amino acid sequences between the nine subtypes), rapid and error-prone viral replication resulting in mutant genomes that can evade the immune system, and a lack of correlates of protection, i.e., immune markers that can be used as indicators of protective immune response. Also, HIV’s ability to “hide” in latent reservoirs by integrating into the host genome prevents viral clearance as quiescent viruses escape the inhibitory effects of ART.
Organizations such as the International Vaccine Initiative and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), orchestrate the collaborative efforts between academia and biotech companies towards the development of a preventative vaccine against HIV. There is also intense research in the field of therapeutic vaccines, which aims to elicit immune responses that will clear the infected cells and control viral replication, leading to a functional cure without the need for ART. Also, the case of the Berlin patient, the first reported case of a sterilizing cure, has spurred research towards a sterilizing cure using gene therapies and autologous or heterologous stem cell transplantation. Another approach to eradicate HIV that is gaining momentum utilizes cancer drugs known as latency reversal agents, with the best-studied being Merck’s Zolinza (vorinostat).
Novel Combinatorial Regimens Can Lead to a Functional Cure
Achieving a functional cure is still a major medical challenge. Efforts targeting different aspects of HIV, such as latency reversal agents to reactivate the reservoir, therapeutic vaccines to generate CD4/CD8 T-cell responses, and nucleases capable of rendering stem cells non-receptive to HIV infection, are beginning to yield preliminary results. However, the success of a functional cure could come from an intervention that combines these approaches. Once latently infected cells are reactivated, administered antiretrovirals will prevent productive infection of additional CD4 T-cells. To prevent re-establishment of the reservoir and kill resistant CD4 T-cells after reactivation, therapeutic vaccination that stimulates CD8 T-cell responses can be used.
New combinatorial therapies present a unique opportunity for small biotech companies and academic laboratories to combine their forces under the support and guidance of regulatory bodies and government institutions. GlobalData expects that the first successful regimen will attract Big Pharma, which can leverage its resources to conduct large-scale trials and successfully market the therapy. The new reort entitled „PharmaFocus: HIV – R&D Strategies towards Cure and Prevention“ can be found at http://www.pipelinereview.com/index.php/therapeuticarea/infectious-toxicology/pharmafocus-hiv-r-d-strategies-towards-cure-and-prevention-detail
SOURCE: Globaldata
Post Views: 176
October 2, 2013 I HIV’s unique biology poses several barriers to its eradication. The development of a prophylactic vaccine poses several challenges, including viral diversity (different amino acid sequences between the nine subtypes), rapid and error-prone viral replication resulting in mutant genomes that can evade the immune system, and a lack of correlates of protection, i.e., immune markers that can be used as indicators of protective immune response. Also, HIV’s ability to “hide” in latent reservoirs by integrating into the host genome prevents viral clearance as quiescent viruses escape the inhibitory effects of ART.
Organizations such as the International Vaccine Initiative and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), orchestrate the collaborative efforts between academia and biotech companies towards the development of a preventative vaccine against HIV. There is also intense research in the field of therapeutic vaccines, which aims to elicit immune responses that will clear the infected cells and control viral replication, leading to a functional cure without the need for ART. Also, the case of the Berlin patient, the first reported case of a sterilizing cure, has spurred research towards a sterilizing cure using gene therapies and autologous or heterologous stem cell transplantation. Another approach to eradicate HIV that is gaining momentum utilizes cancer drugs known as latency reversal agents, with the best-studied being Merck’s Zolinza (vorinostat).
Novel Combinatorial Regimens Can Lead to a Functional Cure
Achieving a functional cure is still a major medical challenge. Efforts targeting different aspects of HIV, such as latency reversal agents to reactivate the reservoir, therapeutic vaccines to generate CD4/CD8 T-cell responses, and nucleases capable of rendering stem cells non-receptive to HIV infection, are beginning to yield preliminary results. However, the success of a functional cure could come from an intervention that combines these approaches. Once latently infected cells are reactivated, administered antiretrovirals will prevent productive infection of additional CD4 T-cells. To prevent re-establishment of the reservoir and kill resistant CD4 T-cells after reactivation, therapeutic vaccination that stimulates CD8 T-cell responses can be used.
New combinatorial therapies present a unique opportunity for small biotech companies and academic laboratories to combine their forces under the support and guidance of regulatory bodies and government institutions. GlobalData expects that the first successful regimen will attract Big Pharma, which can leverage its resources to conduct large-scale trials and successfully market the therapy. The new reort entitled „PharmaFocus: HIV – R&D Strategies towards Cure and Prevention“ can be found at http://www.pipelinereview.com/index.php/therapeuticarea/infectious-toxicology/pharmafocus-hiv-r-d-strategies-towards-cure-and-prevention-detail
SOURCE: Globaldata
Post Views: 176
