Cell and Gene Therapy for HIV Cure.

Area of Science:

• * Molecular Biology
• * Immunology
• * Virology

Background:

• * The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic spurred the development of novel therapeutic strategies, including cell and gene therapy.
• * Cell and gene therapies target fundamental genetic factors of diseases by delivering DNA and RNA molecules.
• * The evolution of HIV gene therapy is unique, with the virus itself becoming integral to therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To trace the historical development of HIV cell and gene therapy from early trials to current advanced methods.
• * To review state-of-the-art strategies including T-cell engineering and gene editing for HIV resistance.
• * To highlight the potential of combination therapies for achieving a functional cure or remission of HIV infection.

Main Methods:

• * Review of early clinical trials using unmodified cell products.
• * Analysis of current strategies: engineering HIV-specific immunity in T-cells.
• * Examination of gene editing to confer HIV resistance to blood cells.
• * Evaluation of combination therapeutic approaches.

Main Results:

• * HIV-based lentiviral vectors and other gene delivery systems are utilized in various models and patient studies.
• * Current strategies focus on enhancing host immunity and conferring cellular resistance to HIV.
• * Combinatorial approaches are widely recognized as the most promising for functional HIV cure/remission.

Conclusions:

• * Cell and gene therapy have evolved significantly, offering new avenues for HIV treatment.
• * Engineering HIV-specific immunity and gene editing are key components of modern strategies.
• * Combination therapies hold the greatest potential for eradicating HIV-infected cells in vivo and achieving functional cure.