Cancer medication helps reduce SIV reservoir, increasing hope for HIV cure
Emory University researchers have provided the first proof of concept in a nonhuman primate model for eliminating HIV-infected cells with venetoclax, a clinically approved cancer medication. Venetoclax effectively targets and blocks Bcl-2, a protein that not only regulates whether cells live or die but also promotes the survival of cancer cells. Similarly, Bcl-2 is a culprit in sustaining HIV…
Emory University researchers have demonstrated in a nonhuman primate model that the cancer medication venetoclax, approved for human use, can eliminate HIV-infected cells by blocking the Bcl-2 protein. This discovery offers hope for a potential cure for HIV, as Bcl-2 also sustains the reservoir of the virus. The study reported in Nature Microbiology suggests that venetoclax, when combined with antiretroviral therapy, reduces the number of HIV-infected CD4+ T cells more rapidly than ART alone.
The effects of this treatment persist for months after the course has been stopped. The research team plans to investigate longer durations of venetoclax treatment to maximize its impact on eliminating the viral reservoir.
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