Study Suggests Cancer Drug as HIV Cure
Written by Susi, Arushi Sharma
A groundbreaking study has uncovered a surprising possibility in the quest for an HIV cure. Researchers have identified a cancer drug with remarkable potential to eliminate the virus from infected cells.
A significant study was done by researchers from WEHI and the Doherty Institute in Melbourne, Australia. They discovered that the cancer medicine venetoclax may destroy latent HIV-infected cells and prevent the virus from resurfacing, which is a huge step forward in HIV treatment.
Based on these findings, a clinical study will be done in Denmark and Australia. This discovery provides hope for the 39 million individuals living with HIV globally, as existing medicines suppress the virus but do not target latent infected cells, leaving the virus vulnerable to reappearance.
Co-first author, Dr Philip Arandjelovic from WEHI, said,
“In attacking dormant HIV cells and delaying viral rebound, venetoclax has shown promise beyond that of currently approved treatments. Every achievement in delaying this virus from returning brings us closer to preventing the disease from re-emerging in people living with HIV. Our findings are hopefully a step towards this goal.”
This is the first study to use venetoclax as a standalone treatment to assess HIV persistence in pre-clinical models.
Researchers discovered that combining venetoclax with another drug, currently in clinical trials, can prolong viral rebound delay and shorten treatment duration.
Researchers at the Doherty Institute found that venetoclax reduced HIV DNA levels in CD4+ T cells from people with suppressed HIV. Dr. Youry Kim of the University of Melbourne also noted venetoclax's potent effect on intact viral DNA in patient cells during lab studies.
“This indicates that venetoclax is selectively killing the infected cells, which rely on key proteins to survive. Venetoclax has the ability to antagonise one of the key survival proteins,” said Dr Kim.
Prof Pellegrini, a former Head of WEHI’s Infectious Diseases and Immune Defence Division said, “Tolerability of venetoclax in people living with HIV who are on suppressive antiretroviral therapy.”
Melbourne Laureate Professor Sharon Lewin, a joint corresponding author, expressed excitement about venetoclax being repurposed as a treatment for HIV patients, stating it could potentially change the lives of thousands of blood cancer patients and eliminate the need for lifelong medication.
The research was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), The Sylvia & Charles Viertel Senior Medical Research Fellowship, Australian Centre for HIV and Hepatitis Virology Research, the Victorian Government and Australian Government.