Practical considerations in gene therapy for HIV cure.
Despite the success of antiretroviral therapy in suppressing HIV-1 replication and extending the life of HIV-1 infected individuals, this regimen is associated with risks for non-AIDS morbidity and mortality, requires life commitment, and has a high cost. In this context, gene therapy approaches that have the potential to cure HIV-1 infection present a clear option for eradication of the virus in the next decades. Gene therapy must overcome concerns related to its applicability to HIV-1 infection, the safety of cytotoxic conditioning required for cell-based approaches, clinical trial design, selection of gene-modified cells, and the restrictive cost of manufacturing and technology. These concerns are discussed herein in the context of the most relevant gene therapy studies conducted so far in HIV/AIDS.
Department of Virology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, 1500 East Duarte Road, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA.
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John A
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D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000637:transplantation; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000628:therapy*; D015497:HIV-1; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D012107:Research Design; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning