Immunotherapies in HIV-1 infection.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this review is to describe the current status of immunotherapies for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. This review is timely, as the results of the phase III clinical trials of recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) as adjuncts to combination antiretroviral therapy are about to be released.


RESULTS
For many years, the use of rIL-2 in HIV-infected individuals has been explored. Although the results of the clinical endpoint studies of rIL-2 are awaited, there are now further data for rIL-2 as a stand-alone therapy for the treatment of HIV. Maraviroc, a recently approved anti-HIV agent, is a small molecule antagonist of human chemokine receptor-5. The recent observation that maraviroc-treated patients achieved higher CD4 and CD8 T-cell counts compared with comparator regimens (without a chemokine receptor-5 antagonist) for equivalent viral load reductions has fueled interest in using these host-directed therapies to enhance immune restoration.


CONCLUSIONS
This review summarizes the most recent clinical data for rIL-2 and reviews other immunotherapies in earlier development including cytokines rIL-7, rIL-15, rIL-21, new therapeutic vaccination approaches including infusion of overlapping HIV peptides and dendritic cell immunotherapy and novel agents including luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogues and vitamin D3-binding protein macrophage activating factor.
Pett
Sarah L
SL
National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, University of New South Wales, Darlinghurst, New South Wales 2010, Australia. spett@nchecr.unsw.edu.au
D003510:Cyclohexanes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077592:Maraviroc; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014230:Triazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use
D003510:Cyclohexanes; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D007376:Interleukin-2; D014230:Triazoles; D000077592:Maraviroc