Project description:The presence of latent HIV-1 in infected individuals represents a major barrier preventing viral eradication. For that reason, reactivation of latent viruses in the presence of antiretroviral regimens has been proposed as a therapeutic strategy to achieve remission. We screened for small molecules and identified several benzotriazole derivatives with the ability to reactivate latent HIV-1. In the presence of IL-2, benzotriazoles reactivated and reduced the latent reservoir in primary cells, and, remarkably, viral reactivation was achieved without inducing cell proliferation, T cell activation, or cytokine release. Mechanistic studies showed that benzotriazoles block SUMOylation of phosphorylated STAT5, increasing STAT5's activity and occupancy of the HIV-1 LTR. Our results identify benzotriazoles as latency reversing agents and STAT5 signaling and SUMOylation as targets for HIV-1 eradication strategies. These compounds represent a different direction in the search for "shock and kill" therapies.
Project description:We screened for small molecules that reactivated latent HIV-1 and identified benzotriazoles as latency-reducing agents. Here, we characterize the effects of HODHBt on gene expression in cultured T cells from three donors by polyA RNA-Seq and on STAT5A occupancy of the HIV-1 LTR promoter by ChIP-Seq. These and other results demonstrate that benzotriazoles block SUMOylation of phosphorylated STAT5, prolonging its transcriptional activity.
Project description:We screened for small molecules that reactivated latent HIV-1 and identified benzotriazoles as latency-reducing agents. Here, we characterize the effects of HODHBt on gene expression in cultured T cells from three donors by polyA RNA-Seq and on STAT5A occupancy of the HIV-1 LTR promoter by ChIP-Seq. These and other results demonstrate that benzotriazoles block SUMOylation of phosphorylated STAT5, prolonging its transcriptional activity.
Project description:Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is not curative due to the existence of cellular reservoirs of latent HIV-1 that persist during therapy. Current research efforts to cure HIV-1 infection include "shock and kill" strategies to disrupt latency using small molecules or latency-reversing agents (LRAs) to induce expression of HIV-1 enabling cytotoxic immune cells to eliminate infected cells. The modest success of current LRAs urges the field to identify novel drugs with increased clinical efficacy. Aminobisphosphonates (N-BPs) that include pamidronate, zoledronate, or alendronate, are the first-line treatment of bone-related diseases including osteoporosis and bone malignancies. Here, we show the use of N-BPs as a novel class of LRA: we found in ex vivo assays using primary cells from ART-suppressed people living with HIV-1 that N-BPs induce HIV-1 from latency to levels that are comparable to the T cell activator phytohemagglutinin (PHA). RNA sequencing and mechanistic data suggested that reactivation may occur through activation of the activator protein 1 signaling pathway. Stored samples from a prior clinical trial aimed at analyzing the effect of alendronate on bone mineral density, provided further evidence of alendronate-mediated latency reversal and activation of immune effector cells. Decay of the reservoir measured by IPDA was however not detected. Our results demonstrate the novel use of N-BPs to reverse HIV-1 latency while inducing immune effector functions. This preliminary evidence merits further investigation in a controlled clinical setting possibly in combination with therapeutic vaccination.
Project description:Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is not curative due to the existence of cellular reservoirs of latent HIV-1 that persist during therapy 1. Current research efforts to cure HIV-1 infection include “shock and kill” strategies to disrupt latency using small molecules or latency-reversing agents (LRAs) to induce expression of HIV-1 enabling cytotoxic immune cells to eliminate infected cells 2. However, the modest success of current LRAs urges the field to identify novel drugs with increased clinical efficacy 3,4. Aminobisphosphonates that include pamidronate, zoledronate, or alendronate, are the first-line treatment of bone-related diseases including osteoporosis and bone malignancies 5. Here, we show the use of aminobisphosphonates as a novel class of LRA: we found in ex vivo assays using primary cells from ART-suppressed people living with HIV-1 that aminobisphosphonates induce HIV-1 from latency to levels that are comparable to the T cell activator phytohemagglutinin. RNA sequencing and mechanistic data suggested that reactivation may occur through activation of the activator protein 1 signaling pathway. Stored samples from a prior clinical trial aimed at analyzing the effect of alendronate on bone mineral density, provided further of alendronate-mediated latency reversal and activation of immune effector cells.Decay of the reservoir measured by IPDA was however not detected. Our results demonstrate the novel use of aminobisphosphonates to reverse HIV-1 latency while inducing immune effector functions. This preliminary evidence merits further investigation in a controlled clinical setting possibly in combination with therapeutic vaccination.