title: The search for an HIV cure: tackling latent infection.
abstract: Strategies to eliminate infectious HIV that persists despite present treatments and with the potential to cure HIV infection are of great interest. One patient seems to have been cured of HIV infection after receiving a bone marrow transplant with cells resistant to the virus, although this strategy is not viable for large numbers of infected people. Several clinical trials are underway in which drugs are being used to activate cells that harbour latent HIV. In a recent study, investigators showed that activation of latent HIV infection in patients on antiretroviral therapy could be achieved with a single dose of vorinostat, a licensed anticancer drug that inhibits histone deacetylase. Although far from a cure, such studies provide some guidance towards the logical next steps for research. Clinical studies that use a longer duration of drug dosing, alternative agents, combination approaches, gene therapy, and immune-modulation approaches are all underway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: skent@unimelb.edu.au.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kent
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Jeanette C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Reece
authors.affiliation: Centre for Vascular Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Janka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Petravic
authors.affiliation: Centre for Vascular Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Alexey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martyushev
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Marit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kramski
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Rose
authors.affiliation: Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Anthony D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Kelleher
authors.affiliation: Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Emery
authors.affiliation: Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Paul U
authors.initials: PU
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.affiliation: Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Sharon R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Lewin
authors.affiliation: Centre for Vascular Research, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Miles P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Davenport
mesh_terms: D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D006877:Hydroxamic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014775:Virus Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D017735:Virus Latency; D000077337:Vorinostat
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D006877:Hydroxamic Acids; D000077337:Vorinostat