RNA interference-based therapeutics for human immunodeficiency virus HIV-1 treatment: synthetic siRNA or vector-based shRNA?
BACKGROUND
Despite the clinical benefits of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the prospect of life-long antiretroviral treatment poses significant problems, which has spurred interest in developing new drugs and strategies to treat HIV infection and eliminate persistent viral reservoirs. RNAi has emerged as a therapeutic possibility for HIV.


METHODS
We discuss progress in overcoming hurdles to translating transient and stable RNAi enabling technologies to clinical application for HIV; covering the past 2 - 3 years.


RESULTS
HIV inhibition can be achieved by transfection of chemically or enzymatically synthesized siRNAs or by DNA-based vector systems expressing short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) that are processed intracellularly into siRNA. We compare these approaches, focusing on technical and safety issues that will guide the choice of strategy for clinical use.


CONCLUSIONS
Introduction of synthetic siRNA into cells or its stable endogenous production using vector-driven shRNA have been shown to suppress HIV replication in vitro and, in some instances, in vivo. Each method has advantages and limitations in terms of ease of delivery, duration of silencing, emergence of escape mutants and potential toxicity. Both appear to have potential as future therapeutics for HIV, once the technical and safety issues of each approach are overcome.
Subramanya
Sandesh
S
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Center of Excellence for Infectious Diseases, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, El Paso, TX 79905, USA.
Kim
Sang-Soo
SS
Manjunath
N
N
Shankar
Premlata
P
D000818:Animals; D015195:Drug Design; D005814:Genes, Viral / Q000187:drug effects; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D034741:RNA, Small Interfering