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Updated: May 10, 2026
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High Throughput In Vitro Assessment of Latency Reversing Agents on HIV Transcription and Splicing
Published on: January 22, 2019
Therapeutics for HIV-1 reactivation from latency
Marco Sgarbanti1, Angela Battistini
1Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
Current Opinion in Virology
|July 2, 2013
Summary
Finding a cure for HIV-1 infection remains challenging due to persistent viral reservoirs. Researchers are exploring strategies to reactivate latent HIV and eliminate infected cells, but current latency-reversing agents show mixed results in clinical trials.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Antiretroviral therapy (ART) effectively manages Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection by suppressing viral replication and preventing Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
- ART cannot eradicate the virus, which persists in latent reservoirs, necessitating lifelong treatment with associated challenges like drug resistance, toxicity, and cost.
- Recent advancements in understanding HIV latency mechanisms have spurred research into curative strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore novel strategies for achieving a functional cure for HIV-1 infection.
- To investigate the potential of latency-reversing agents (LRAs) in eradicating persistent HIV-1 reservoirs.
- To evaluate the efficacy of current LRA-based therapeutic approaches.
Main Methods:
- Review of current HIV-1 eradication strategies, focusing on shock and kill approaches.
- Identification and characterization of molecules with latency-reversing properties through mechanism-directed approaches and large-scale screenings.
- Analysis of clinical trial data for LRAs aimed at reactivating latent HIV-1.
Main Results:
- Intensive combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) suppresses HIV-1 but does not eliminate latent viral reservoirs.
- Proposed eradication strategies involve inducing viral transcription in latent reservoirs followed by immune-mediated or cytopathic elimination of infected cells.
- Several latency-reversing agents have been identified, but clinical trials have yielded mixed or unsatisfactory results.
Conclusions:
- Achieving a functional cure for HIV-1 remains a significant challenge due to the persistence of latent viral reservoirs.
- Latency-reversing agents are a promising avenue for HIV-1 cure strategies, but further development and optimization are needed.
- Clinical translation of LRA-based therapies requires addressing efficacy and safety concerns to overcome current limitations.
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