Systemic HIV and SIV latency reversal via non-canonical NF-κB signalling in vivo.

Long-lasting, latently infected resting CD4+ T cells are the greatest obstacle to obtaining a cure for HIV infection, as these cells can persist despite decades of treatment with antiretroviral therapy (ART). Estimates indicate that more than 70 years of continuous, fully suppressive ART are needed to eliminate the HIV reservoir1. Alternatively, induction of HIV from its latent state could accelerate the decrease in the reservoir, thus reducing the time to eradication. Previous attempts to reactivate latent HIV in preclinical animal models and in clinical trials have measured HIV induction in the peripheral blood with minimal focus on tissue reservoirs and have had limited effect2-9. Here we show that activation of the non-canonical NF-κB signalling pathway by AZD5582 results in the induction of HIV and SIV RNA expression in the blood and tissues of ART-suppressed bone-marrow-liver-thymus (BLT) humanized mice and rhesus macaques infected with HIV and SIV, respectively. Analysis of resting CD4+ T cells from tissues after AZD5582 treatment revealed increased SIV RNA expression in the lymph nodes of macaques and robust induction of HIV in almost all tissues analysed in humanized mice, including the lymph nodes, thymus, bone marrow, liver and lung. This promising approach to latency reversal-in combination with appropriate tools for systemic clearance of persistent HIV infection-greatly increases opportunities for HIV eradication.

Ultra-long-acting tunable biodegradable and removable controlled release implants for drug delivery.

Here we report an ultra-long-acting tunable, biodegradable, and removable polymer-based delivery system that offers sustained drug delivery for up to one year for HIV treatment or prophylaxis. This robust formulation offers the ability to integrate multiple drugs in a single injection, which is particularly important to address the potential for drug resistance with monotherapy. Six antiretroviral drugs were selected based on their solubility in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and relevance as a combination therapy for HIV treatment or prevention. All drugs released with concentrations above their protein-adjusted inhibitory concentration and retained their physical and chemical properties within the formulation and upon release. The versatility of this formulation to integrate multiple drugs and provide sustained plasma concentrations from several weeks to up to one year, combined with its ability to be removed to terminate the treatment if necessary, makes it attractive as a drug delivery platform technology for a wide range of applications.

Systemic multilineage engraftment in mice after in utero transplantation with human hematopoietic stem cells.

IUHCT of human cord blood-derived CD34+ cells into fetal NSG mice results in systemic multilineage engraftment with human cells.Preconditioning with in utero injection of an anti-c-Kit receptor antibody (ACK2) results in an improved rate of engraftment.

Predicting HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Efficacy for Women using a Preclinical Pharmacokinetic-Pharmacodynamic In Vivo Model.

The efficacy of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) relies on adherence and may also depend on the route of HIV acquisition. Clinical studies of systemic tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) PrEP revealed reduced efficacy in women compared to men with similar degrees of adherence. To select the most effective PrEP strategies, preclinical studies are critically needed to establish correlations between drug concentrations (pharmacokinetics [PK]) and protective efficacy (pharmacodynamics [PD]). We utilized an in vivo preclinical model to perform a PK-PD analysis of systemic TDF PrEP for vaginal HIV acquisition. TDF PrEP prevented vaginal HIV acquisition in a dose-dependent manner. PK-PD modeling of tenofovir (TFV) in plasma, female reproductive tract tissue, cervicovaginal lavage fluid and its intracellular metabolite (TFV diphosphate) revealed that TDF PrEP efficacy was best described by plasma TFV levels. When administered at 50 mg/kg, TDF achieved plasma TFV concentrations (370 ng/ml) that closely mimicked those observed in humans and demonstrated the same risk reduction (70%) previously attained in women with high adherence. This PK-PD model mimics the human condition and can be applied to other PrEP approaches and routes of HIV acquisition, accelerating clinical implementation of the most efficacious PrEP strategies.

In Vivo Suppression of HIV Rebound by Didehydro-Cortistatin A, a "Block-and-Lock" Strategy for HIV-1 Treatment.

HIV-1 Tat activates viral transcription and limited Tat transactivation correlates with latency establishment. We postulated a "block-and-lock" functional cure approach based on properties of the Tat inhibitor didehydro-Cortistatin A (dCA). HIV-1 transcriptional inhibitors could block ongoing viremia during antiretroviral therapy (ART), locking the HIV promoter in persistent latency. We investigated this hypothesis in human CD4+ T cells isolated from aviremic individuals. Combining dCA with ART accelerates HIV-1 suppression and prevents viral rebound after treatment interruption, even during strong cellular activation. We show that dCA mediates epigenetic silencing by increasing nucleosomal occupancy at Nucleosome-1, restricting RNAPII recruitment to the HIV-1 promoter. The efficacy of dCA was studied in the bone marrow-liver-thymus (BLT) mouse model of HIV latency and persistence. Adding dCA to ART-suppressed mice systemically reduces viral mRNA in tissues. Moreover, dCA significantly delays and reduces viral rebound levels upon treatment interruption. Altogether, this work demonstrates the potential of block-and-lock cure strategies.

Efficient Inhibition of HIV Replication in the Gastrointestinal and Female Reproductive Tracts of Humanized BLT Mice by EFdA.

BACKGROUND: The nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) 4'-ethynyl-2-fluoro-2'-deoxyadenosine (EFdA) in preclinical development exhibits improved safety and antiviral activity profiles with minimal drug resistance compared to approved NRTIs. However, the systemic antiviral efficacy of EFdA has not been fully evaluated. In this study, we utilized bone marrow/liver/thymus (BLT) humanized mice to investigate the systemic effect of EFdA treatment on HIV replication and CD4+ T cell depletion in the peripheral blood (PB) and tissues. In particular, we performed a comprehensive analysis of the female reproductive tract (FRT) and gastrointestinal (GI) tract, major sites of transmission, viral replication, and CD4+ T cell depletion and where some current antiretroviral drugs have a sub-optimal effect. RESULTS: EFdA treatment resulted in reduction of HIV-RNA in PB to undetectable levels in the majority of treated mice by 3 weeks post-treatment. HIV-RNA levels in cervicovaginal lavage of EFdA-treated BLT mice also declined to undetectable levels demonstrating strong penetration of EFdA into the FRT. Our results also demonstrate a strong systemic suppression of HIV replication in all tissues analyzed. In particular, we observed more than a 2-log difference in HIV-RNA levels in the GI tract and FRT of EFdA-treated BLT mice compared to untreated HIV-infected control mice. In addition, HIV-RNA was also significantly lower in the lymph nodes, liver, lung, spleen of EFdA-treated BLT mice compared to untreated HIV-infected control mice. Furthermore, EFdA treatment prevented the depletion of CD4+ T cells in the PB, mucosal tissues and lymphoid tissues. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that EFdA is highly effective in controlling viral replication and preserving CD4+ T cells in particular with high efficiency in the GI and FRT tract. Thus, EFdA represents a strong potential candidate for further development as a part of antiretroviral therapy regimens.

Multiple residues in the extracellular domains of CCR3 are critical for coreceptor activity.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) binds to the human CD4 (hCD4) and a coreceptor to enter permissive human cells. The chemokine receptors, hCCR5 and hCXCR4, are the primary coreceptors used by HIV-1 isolates in vivo, however, hCCR3 has been implicated as a coreceptor for HIV infection of the central nervous system. To determine the domains and amino acids important in hCCR3 coreceptor activity, chimeras between the permissive hCCR3 and the non-permissive rhesus macaque CCR3 (RhCCR3) were constructed and assessed for coreceptor activity for two R5 strains of HIV-1 (YU-2 and ADA) and one R5X4 strain (89.6). Even though three extracellular domains of CCR3 participated in coreceptor activity for the two R5 isolates (ECD-1, ECD-3, and ECD-4), for the R5X4 isolate, ECD-4, and to a lesser extent ECD-3, were critical for coreceptor activity. In addition, residues 13 and 20 in ECD-1, residue 179 in ECD-3, and residue in 271 in ECD-4 of CCR3 were identified for HIV-1 envelope-mediated entry for R5 isolates. In contrast, all the residues on ECD-4 appeared necessary for coreceptor activity for HIV-1(89.6). Therefore, multiple residues on multiple extracellular domains of hCCR3 are important for coreceptor activity for HIV-1.