Current HIV Research - Volume 14, Issue 1, 2016

Background: Current HIV antiretroviral therapies potently suppress virus replication and prevent patients from progressing to AIDS but are unable to completely eliminate HIV due to the existence of dormant viral reservoirs which threaten to reemerge at anytime. Recently, genome-editing technologies that can recognize specific DNA sequences, including viral DNA, are being touted as promising tools for curing HIV, owing t Read More

The role of antibody Fc-mediated effector functions in controlling or preventing infections by human immunodeficiency type 1 (HIV-1) and simian immunodeficiency (SIV) viruses has been recently highlighted in multiple studies. One of those effector functions, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) was suggested as correlating with decreased HIV-1 acquisition risk in the recent Thai RV144 vaccine trial. RV144-elici Read More

Background: Antiretroviral (ARV) drugs targeting retroviral enzymes have been extensively employed to treat HIV-1 infection. Drawbacks of this approach include cost, toxicity, and the eventual emergence of resistant strains that threaten prophylactic and/or therapeutic efficacy. Accordingly, efforts to develop next-generation ARV approaches are warranted, particularly if they can offer a higher threshold of resistance. We hav Read More

Objective: HIV lipodystrophy is characterised by abnormal adipose tissue distribution and metabolism, as a result of altered adipocyte function and gene expression. The protease inhibitor ritonavir is associated with the development of lipodystrophy. Quantifying changes in adipogenic gene expression in the presence of ritonavir may help to identify therapeutic targets for HIV lipodystrophy. Methods: Affymetrix Mouse Genom Read More

Introduction: Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a debilitating demyelinating disease of the CNS caused by the infection and destruction of glial cells by JC virus (JCV) and is an AIDS-defining disease. Infection with JCV is common and most people acquire antibodies early in life. After initial infection, JCV remains in an asymptomatic persistent state and can be detected by PCR in many tissues including brain. Read More

Background: Tolerability, long-term toxicities and selection of resistant variants limit the use and efficacy of antiretroviral drugs in HIV-positive patients. Novel combinations are needed for mantaining long-term control of HIV replication; nevertheless scarse data are available on protease inhibitor-free dual antiretroviral therapies. Methods: A multi-centric retrospective study was conducted including HIV-1-positive patients Read More

Background: The association between abacavir use and increased risk of myocardial infarction has been heavily debated, but cohort studies and randomized trials have provided conflicting results. Aim of our study is to compare the effect of abacavir and tenofovir on the inflammation and endothelial activation markers. Methods: We performed an observational study of HIV-infected naïve patients starting tenofovir/emtricita Read More

Introduction: Given the chronic nature of HIV infection and the need for life-long antiretroviral therapy (ART), maintaining long-term optimal adherence is an important strategy for maximizing treatment success. In order to understand better the dynamic nature of adherence behaviors in India where complex cultural and logistic features prevail, we assessed the patterns, trajectories and time-dependent predictors of adhe Read More