A cancer drug tested at Tulane University might help clear HIV from brain cells. Researchers found it reduced SIV (the monkey version of HIV) in the brain by targeting and removing immune cells holding the virus. Published in the journal Brain, this could help tackle HIV in hard-to-reach areas of the brain, which is a challenge even with effective treatment.
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) keeps HIV levels undetectable in the blood and makes it manageable, but it doesn’t cure the virus. HIV hides in “viral reservoirs” in the brain, liver, and lymph nodes, where ART can’t reach. The brain is challenging to treat due to the blood-brain barrier and long-lived macrophages that hold the virus.
These infected brain cells are linked to cognitive problems in about half of HIV patients. Researchers targeted macrophages with a drug that blocks a specific receptor, reducing the virus in the brain. This could be a new way to treat HIV more effectively.
The small molecule inhibitor BLZ945, previously tested for ALS and brain cancer, was used for the first time to clear HIV from the brain. At Tulane National Primate Research Center, the study had three groups: one untreated and two given low or high doses of BLZ945 for 30 days. The high dose significantly reduced HIV receptor sites and viral DNA in the brain by 95-99%. The treatment didn’t harm microglia or the liver.
The research team plans to test this therapy with ART to see if it can more effectively clear HIV from the body. This could lead to better ways to eliminate HIV.
The Tulane study concludes that a new drug shows promise in clearing HIV from the brain, offering hope for more effective HIV treatment.
Journal reference:
- Diana G Bohannon, Laurent D Zablocki-Thomas et al., CSF1R inhibition depletes brain macrophages. It reduces brain virus burden in SIV-infected macaques. Brain. DOI: 10.1093/brain/awae153.