Resveratrol Promotes HIV-1 Tat Accumulation via AKT/FOXO1 Signaling Axis and Potentiates Vorinostat to antagonize HIV-1 latency

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeming Feng ◽  
Zhengrong Yang ◽  
Xiang Gao ◽  
Yuhua Xue ◽  
Xiaohui Wang
Keyword(s):  
Host Cells ◽  
Latent Reservoir ◽  
Cell Models ◽  
Elongation Complex ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Small Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein ◽  
Candidate Drug ◽  
Signaling Axis ◽  
Shock And Kill ◽  
Hiv 1

Background: The latent reservoir of HIV-1 is a major barrier to achieving the eradication of HIV-1/AIDS. One strategy is termed “shock and kill”, which aims to awaken the latent HIV-1 using latency reversing agents (LRAs) to replicate and produce HIV-1 particles. Subsequently, the host cells containing HIV-1 can be recognized and eliminated by the immune response and anti-retroviral therapy. Although many LRAs have been found and tested, their clinical trials were dissatisfactory. Objective: To study how resveratrol reactivating silent HIV-1 transcription and assess if resveratrol could be a candidate drug for the “shock” phase in “shock and kill” strategy. Method: We used established HIV-1 transcription cell models (HeLa-based NH1 and NH2 cells) and HIV-1 latent cell models (J-Lat A72 and Jurkat 2D10 cells). We performed resveratrol treatment on these cell lines and studied the mechanism of how resveratrol stimulating HIV-1 gene transcription. We also tested resveratrol’s bioactivity on primary cells isolated from HIV1 latent infected patients. Results: Resveratrol promoted HIV-1 Tat protein levels, and resveratrol-induced Tat promotion was dependent on the AKT/FOXO1 signaling axis. Resveratrol could partially dissociate P-TEFb (Positive Transcription Elongation Factor b) from 7SK snRNP (7SK small nuclear Ribonucleoprotein) and promote Tat-SEC (Super Elongation Complex) interaction. Preclinical studies showed that resveratrol potentiated Vorinostat to awaken HIV-1 latency in HIV-1 latent infected cells isolated from patients. Conclusion: We found a new mechanism of resveratrol stimulating the production of HIV-1. Resveratrol could be a promising candidate drug to eradicate HIV-1 reservoirs.

scholarly journals A Critical Review of the Evidence Concerning the HIV Latency Reversing Effect of Disulfiram, the Possible Explanations for Its Inability to Reduce the Size of the Latent Reservoir In Vivo, and the Caveats Associated with Its Use in Practice

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry D. J. Knights
Keyword(s):  
Immune Deficiency Syndrome ◽  
Deficiency Syndrome ◽  
Latent Reservoir ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Shock And Kill ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Hiv 1

Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) effectively suppresses the replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), improves immune function, and decreases the morbidity of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). However, it is unable to eradicate the virus because it does not eliminate latently infected cells. The latent reservoir poses the major barrier to an HIV-1 cure. The “shock and kill” strategy aims to reactivate the virus and destroy latently infected cells. Many latency reversing agents (LRAs) reactivate HIV in vitro, but the absence of damaging side-effects and efficacy in vivo make disulfiram particularly promising. However, in clinical trials to date, disulfiram treatment has not resulted in a reduction in the size of the latent reservoir. In this article I will therefore discuss the evidence for the latency reversing effect of disulfiram, the possible explanations for its inability to reduce the size of the latent reservoir in vivo, and the caveats associated with its use in practice. These considerations will help to inform judgements about the prospect of an HIV cure from disulfiram based treatments.

scholarly journals CPI-637 as a Potential Bifunctional Latency-Reversing Agent That Targets Both the BRD4 and TIP60 Proteins

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tengyi Zheng ◽  
Pei Chen ◽  
Yifan Huang ◽  
Jiayin Qiu ◽  
Chenliang Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell Activation ◽  
Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy ◽  
Cell Activation ◽  
Latent Reservoir ◽  
Elongation Complex ◽  
Regulatory Pathways ◽  
Viral Spread ◽  
Shock And Kill ◽  
Hiv 1 ◽  
Dual Target

The failure of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has been largely responsible for the existence of latent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reservoirs. The “shock and kill” strategy was confirmed to reactivate HIV-1 latent reservoirs by latency-reversing agents (LRAs) for accelerated HIV-1 clearance. However, a single LRA might be insufficient to induce HIV-1 reactivation from latency due to the complexity of the multiple signaling regulatory pathways that establish the HIV-1 latent reservoir. Therefore, combinations of LRAs or dual-mechanism LRAs are urgently needed to purge the latent reservoirs. We demonstrate here for the first time that a dual-target inhibitor with a specific suppressive effect on both BRD4 and TIP60, CPI-637, could reactivate latent HIV-1 in vitro by permitting Tat to bind positive transcription elongation factor b (P-TEFb) and assembling Tat-super-elongation complex (SEC) formation. In addition, CPI-637-mediated TIP60 downregulation further stimulated BRD4 dissociation from the HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) promoter, allowing Tat to more effectively bind P-TEFb compared to BRD4 inhibition alone. Much more importantly, CPI-637 exerted a potent synergistic effect but alleviated global T cell activation and blocked viral spread to uninfected bystander CD4+ T cells with minimal cytotoxicity. Our results indicate that CPI-637 opens up the prospect of novel dual-target inhibitors for antagonizing HIV-1 latency and deserves further investigation for development as a promising LRA with a “shock and kill” strategy.

scholarly journals Evaluation of HIV-1 latency reversal and antibody-dependent viral clearance by quantification of singly spliced HIV-1 vpu/env mRNA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongbo Gao ◽  
Ayşe N. Ozantürk ◽  
Qiankun Wang ◽  
Gray H. Harlan ◽  
Aaron J. Schmitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Viral Envelope ◽  
Latent Reservoir ◽  
Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Hiv 1 ◽  
Reversing Agents

The latent reservoir of HIV-1 is a major barrier for viral eradication. Potent HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNabs) have been used to prevent and treat HIV-1 infections in animal models and clinical trials. Combination of bNabs and latency-reversing agents (LRAs) is considered a promising approach for HIV-1 eradication. PCR-based assays that can rapidly and specifically measure singly spliced HIV-1 vpu/env mRNA are needed to evaluate the induction of the viral envelope production at the transcription level and bNab-mediated reservoir clearance. Here we reported a PCR-based method to accurately quantify the production of intracellular HIV-1 vpu/env mRNA. With the vpu/env assay, we determined the LRA combinations that could effectively induce vpu/env mRNA production in CD4+ T cells from ART-treated individuals. None of the tested LRAs were effective alone. A comparison between the quantitative viral outgrowth assay (Q-VOA) and the vpu/env assay showed that vpu/env mRNA production was closely associated with the reactivation of replication-competent HIV-1, suggesting that vpu/env mRNA was mainly produced by intact viruses. Finally, antibody-mediated in vitro killing in HIV-1-infected humanized mice demonstrated that the vpu/env assay could be used to measure the reduction of infected cells in tissues and was more accurate than the commonly used gag-based PCR assay which measured unspliced viral genomic RNA. In conclusion, the vpu/env assay allows convenient and accurate assessment of HIV-1 latency reversal and bNab-mediated therapeutic strategies. Importance HIV-1 persists in individuals on antiretroviral therapy (ART) due to the long-lived cellular reservoirs that contain dormant viruses. Recent discoveries of HIV-1-specific broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNabs) targeting HIV-1 Env protein rekindled the interest in antibody-mediated elimination of latent HIV-1. Latency-reversing agents (LRAs) together with HIV-1 bNabs is a possible strategy to clear residual viral reservoirs, which makes the evaluation of HIV-1 Env expression upon LRA treatment critical. We developed a PCR-based assay to quantify the production of intracellular HIV-1 vpu/env mRNA. Using patient CD4+ T cells, we found that induction of HIV-1 vpu/env mRNA required a combination of different LRAs. Using in vitro, ex vivo and humanized mouse models, we showed that the vpu/env assay could be used to measure antibody efficacy in clearing HIV-1 infection. These results suggest that the vpu/env assay can accurately evaluate HIV-1 reactivation and bNab-based therapeutic interventions.

In Vivo Dynamics of the Latent Reservoir for HIV-1: New Insights and Implications for Cure

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet D. Siliciano ◽  
Robert F. Siliciano
Keyword(s):  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Latent Reservoir ◽  
Annual Review ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Viral Rebound ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Persons Living With Hiv ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Hiv 1

Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) can reduce viremia to below the limit of detection and allow persons living with HIV-1 (PLWH) to lead relatively normal lives, viremia rebounds when treatment is interrupted. Rebound reflects viral persistence in a stable latent reservoir in resting CD4+ T cells. This reservoir is now recognized as the major barrier to cure and is the focus of intense international research efforts. Strategies to cure HIV-1 infection include interventions to eliminate this reservoir, to prevent viral rebound from the reservoir, or to enhance immune responses such that viral replication is effectively controlled. Here we consider recent developments in understanding the composition of the reservoir and how it can be measured in clinical studies. We also discuss exciting new insights into the in vivo dynamics of the reservoir and the reasons for its remarkable stability. Finally we discuss recent discoveries on the complex processes that govern viral rebound. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Pathology: Mechanisms of Disease, Volume 17 is January 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

scholarly journals The dynamics of the HIV-1 latent reservoir – considering the heterogeneous subpopulations

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruian Ke ◽  
Kai Deng
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Antiretroviral Therapy ◽  
Latent Reservoir ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Clinical Observations ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Ctl Escape ◽  
Hiv 1

AbstractA major barrier to finding a cure for human immunodeficiency virus type-I (HIV-1) infection is the existence and persistence of the HIV-1 latent reservoir. Although the size of the reservoir is shown to be extremely stable under effective antiretroviral therapy, multiple lines of evidence suggest that the reservoir is composed of dynamic and heterogeneous subpopulations. Quantifying the dynamics of these subpopulations and the processes that maintain the latent reservoir is crucial to the development of effective strategies to eliminate this reservoir. Here, we constructed a mathematical model to consider four latently infected subpopulations, according to their ability to proliferate and the type of virus they are infected. Our model explains a wide range of clinical observations, including variable estimates of the reservoir half-life and dynamical turnover of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) escape viruses in the reservoir. It suggests that very early treatment leads to a reservoir that is small in size and is composed of less stable latently infected cells (compared to the reservoir in chronically infected individuals). The shorter half-lives estimated from individuals treated during acute infection is likely driven by cells that are less prone to proliferate; in contrast, the remarkably consistent estimate of the long half-lives in individuals who are treated during chronic infection are driven by fast proliferating cells that are likely to be infected by CTL escape mutants. Our model shed light on the dynamics of the reservoir in the absence and presence of antiretroviral therapy. More broadly, it can be used to estimate the turnover rates of subpopulations of the reservoir as well as to design and evaluate the impact of various therapeutic interventions to purge the HIV-1 reservoir.Author summaryHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects tens of millions of people globally and causes approximately a million death each year. Current treatment for HIV infection suppresses viral load but does not eradicates the virus. A major barrier to cure HIV infection is the existence and persistence of populations of cells that are latently infected by HIV, i.e. the HIV latent reservoir. Understanding and quantifying the kinetics of the reservoir is therefore critical for developing and evaluating effective therapies to purge the reservoir. Recent studies suggested that this reservoir is heterogenous in their population dynamics; yet most previous mathematical models consider this reservoir as a homogenous population. Here we developed a model explicitly tracking the heterogenous subpopulations of the reservoir. We show that this model explains a wide range of clinical observations, and then demonstrate its utility to make quantitative predictions about varies interventions that aim to restrict or reduce the size of the reservoir.

scholarly journals Inactivation of Latent HIV-1 Proviral DNA Using Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/Cas9 Treatment and the Assessment of Off-Target Effects

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yufan Xu ◽  
Xiaorong Peng ◽  
Yanghao Zheng ◽  
Changzhong Jin ◽  
Xiangyun Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genome Editing ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Lentiviral Vector ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Editing Efficiency ◽  
Latent Hiv ◽  
Hiv 1 ◽  
Target Effects

Viral DNA integrated in host cells is a major barrier to completely curing HIV-1. However, genome editing using the recently developed technique of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 has the potential to eradicate HIV-1. The present study aimed to use a lentiviral vector-based CRISPR/Cas9 system combined with dual-small/single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) to attack HIV-1 DNA in the latency reactivation model J-Lat 10.6 cell line and to assess off-target effects using whole-genome sequencing (WGS). We designed 12 sgRNAs targeting HIV-1 DNA, and selected high-efficiency sgRNAs for further pairwise combinations after a preliminary evaluation of the editing efficiency. Three combinations of dual-sgRNAs/Cas9 with high editing efficiency were screened successfully from multiple combinations. Among these combinations, the incidences of insertions and deletions in the sgRNA-targeted regions reached 76% and above, and no credible off-target sites were detected using WGS. The results provided comprehensive basic experimental evidence and methodological recommendations for future personalized HIV-1 treatment using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology.

scholarly journals Block-And-Lock Strategies to Cure HIV Infection

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerlinde Vansant ◽  
Anne Bruggemans ◽  
Julie Janssens ◽  
Zeger Debyser
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Infection ◽  
Treatment Interruption ◽  
Latent Reservoir ◽  
Hiv Cure ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Hiv Transcription ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Shock And Kill ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Today HIV infection cannot be cured due to the presence of a reservoir of latently infected cells inducing a viral rebound upon treatment interruption. Hence, the latent reservoir is considered as the major barrier for an HIV cure. So far, efforts to completely eradicate the reservoir via a shock-and-kill approach have proven difficult and unsuccessful. Therefore, more research has been done recently on an alternative block-and-lock functional cure strategy. In contrast to the shock-and-kill strategy that aims to eradicate the entire reservoir, block-and-lock aims to permanently silence all proviruses, even after treatment interruption. HIV silencing can be achieved by targeting different factors of the transcription machinery. In this review, we first describe the underlying mechanisms of HIV transcription and silencing. Next, we give an overview of the different block-and-lock strategies under investigation.

scholarly journals Screening for gene expression fluctuations reveals latency-promoting agents of HIV

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (11) ◽  
pp. e2012191118
Author(s):  
Yiyang Lu ◽  
Kathrin Bohn-Wippert ◽  
Patrick J. Pazerunas ◽  
Jennifer M. Moy ◽  
Harpal Singh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Thioredoxin Reductase ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Redox Balance ◽  
Single Cell Protein ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
Cell Protein ◽  
Latent Reservoir ◽  
Major Barrier

Upon treatment removal, spontaneous reactivation of latently infected T cells remains a major barrier toward curing HIV. Therapies that reactivate and clear the latent reservoir are only partially effective, while latency-promoting agents (LPAs) used to suppress reactivation and stabilize latency are understudied and lack diversity in their mechanisms of action. Here, we identify additional LPAs using a screen for gene-expression fluctuations (or “noise”) that drive cell-fate specification and control HIV reactivation from latency. Single-cell protein dynamics of a minimal HIV gene circuit were monitored with time-lapse fluorescence microscopy. We screened 1,806 drugs, out of which 279 modulate noise magnitude or half autocorrelation time. Next, we tested the strongest noise modulators in a Jurkat T cell latency model and discovered three LPAs that would be overlooked by quantifying their mean expression levels alone. The LPAs reduced reactivation of latency in both Jurkat and primary cell models when challenged by synergistic and potent combinations of HIV activators. The two strongest LPAs, NSC 401005 and NSC 400938, are structurally and functionally related to inhibitors of thioredoxin reductase, a protein involved in maintaining redox balance in host cells. Experiments with multiple functional analogs revealed two additional LPAs, PX12 and tiopronin, and suggest a potential LPA family, within which some are commercially available and Food and Drug Administration–approved. The LPAs presented here may provide new strategies to complement antiretroviral treatments. Screening for gene expression noise holds the potential for drug discovery in other diseases.

scholarly journals Expanded cellular clones carrying replication-competent HIV-1 persist, wax, and wane

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (11) ◽  
pp. E2575-E2584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Wang ◽  
Evelyn E. Gurule ◽  
Timothy P. Brennan ◽  
Jeffrey M. Gerold ◽  
Kyungyoon J. Kwon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
Cellular Proliferation ◽  
Integration Site ◽  
Virus Production ◽  
Viral Reactivation ◽  
Latent Reservoir ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Latently Infected ◽  
Infected Cells ◽  
Hiv 1

The latent reservoir for HIV-1 in resting CD4+ T cells is a major barrier to cure. Several lines of evidence suggest that the latent reservoir is maintained through cellular proliferation. Analysis of this proliferative process is complicated by the fact that most infected cells carry defective proviruses. Additional complications are that stimuli that drive T cell proliferation can also induce virus production from latently infected cells and productively infected cells have a short in vivo half-life. In this ex vivo study, we show that latently infected cells containing replication-competent HIV-1 can proliferate in response to T cell receptor agonists or cytokines that are known to induce homeostatic proliferation and that this can occur without virus production. Some cells that have proliferated in response to these stimuli can survive for 7 d while retaining the ability to produce virus. This finding supports the hypothesis that both antigen-driven and cytokine-induced proliferation may contribute to the stability of the latent reservoir. Sequencing of replication-competent proviruses isolated from patients at different time points confirmed the presence of expanded clones and demonstrated that while some clones harboring replication-competent virus persist longitudinally on a scale of years, others wax and wane. A similar pattern is observed in longitudinal sampling of residual viremia in patients. The observed patterns are not consistent with a continuous, cell-autonomous, proliferative process related to the HIV-1 integration site. The fact that the latent reservoir can be maintained, in part, by cellular proliferation without viral reactivation poses challenges to cure.

scholarly journals Nonstructured Treatment Interruptions Are Associated With Higher Human Immunodeficiency Virus Reservoir Size Measured by Intact Proviral DNA Assay in People Who Inject Drugs

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory D Kirk ◽  
Jacqueline Astemborski ◽  
Shruti H Mehta ◽  
Kristen D Ritter ◽  
Gregory M Laird ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Latent Reservoir ◽  
Persons Who Inject Drugs ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Dna Assay ◽  
Proviral Dna ◽  
Hiv Rna ◽  
Treatment Interruptions ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Hiv 1

Abstract The latent reservoir for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in CD4+ T cells is a major barrier to cure. HIV-1–infected persons who inject drugs (PWID) often struggle to maintain suppression of viremia and experience nonstructured treatment interruptions (NTIs). The effects of injecting drugs or NTIs on the reservoir are unclear. Using the intact proviral DNA assay, we found no apparent effect of heroin or cocaine use on reservoir size. However, we found significantly larger reservoirs in those with frequent NTIs or a shorter interval from last detectable HIV RNA measurement. These results have important implications for inclusion of PWID in HIV-1 cure studies.

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