Newly identified protein pathway helps HIV stay hidden despite treatment
Current HIV medicines are effective at suppressing the virus in the blood. However, HIV can remain "asleep" or dormant inside certain immune cells and in the brain. These hidden pockets of virus, called HIV reservoirs, are the main reason HIV cannot be cured with today's treatments.
A newly discovered protein pathway helps HIV remain dormant and hidden despite ongoing treatment, according to a study published in Cell Reports. HIV currently evades the immune system by hiding inside certain immune cells and the brain, forming reservoirs that make a cure difficult to achieve. Led by Dr. Guochun Jiang from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, researchers identified three human proteins—ENL, USP7, and BRD4—that collaborate to maintain HIV latency.
When ENL or USP7 were disrupted, latent HIV could be reactivated in peripheral blood immune cells and brain microglia from HIV-positive individuals on antiretroviral therapy. While the safety and efficacy of targeting this pathway to eliminate HIV reservoirs need further investigation, the findings could pave the way for future cure strategies.
The discovery also has potential implications for cancer research, as BRD4 is involved in several types of cancer.
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