Knowledge From London and Berlin: Finding Threads to a Functional HIV Cure

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Immunology
• Gene Therapy

Background:

• Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) extends life for HIV patients but does not eliminate viral reservoirs.
• Two functional HIV cures (Berlin and London Patients) involved CCR5-delta32 mutated stem cell transplants for hematological malignancies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review advancements in gene therapy and other strategies for achieving a functional cure for HIV.
• To explore the potential of coreceptor-based hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy for HIV treatment.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on HIV cure strategies.
• Discussion of gene-modified autologous hematopoietic stem cells (targeting CCR5 and CXCR4).
• Analysis of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), conditioning regimens, and shock and kill approaches.

Main Results:

• Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with CCR5-delta32 mutation has shown success in achieving functional HIV cure.
• Gene therapy targeting coreceptors like CCR5 and CXCR4 demonstrates significant promise for HIV treatment.
• Integration of various strategies like cART, gene therapy, and shock and kill may lead to a functional cure.

Conclusions:

• Coreceptor-based hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy is a rapidly advancing field with potential for HIV functional cure.
• Developing a cure for HIV infection is a high priority, with gene therapy offering novel therapeutic avenues.
• Combined strategies including gene therapy, optimized conditioning, and viral eradication methods are crucial for a widespread functional HIV cure.