Cancer Drug Reduces SIV Reservoir in Macaques, May Inform HIV Cure Strategies
Venetoclax, a cancer drug that inhibits BCL-2, reduced the intact SIV reservoir in macaques, offering preclinical support for targeting BCL-2 as part of HIV cure strategies. The post Cancer Drug Reduces SIV Reservoir in Macaques, May Inform HIV Cure Strategies appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News .
A cancer drug that pushes malignant cells toward death may offer insights for curing HIV, according to a study published in Nature Microbiology. Researchers at Emory University found that administering the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax to rhesus macaques at the start of antiretroviral therapy (ART) reduced the intact simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) reservoir in the animals' blood.
The study, which built on the idea that cells overexpressing the anti-apoptotic protein BCL-2 are better able to survive, suggests that BCL-2 inhibition could be a promising strategy to eliminate the viral reservoir and accelerate the timeline to cure HIV.
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