Combined use of cytokines, hormones and therapeutic vaccines during effective antiretroviral therapy

Abstract

Immune-based therapies using vaccines, cytokines and hormones are being considered in the context of effective antiretroviral therapy to induce immunologically defined long-term nonprogressor status in chronically infected HIV-1 patients. Such immunotherapy must allow induction or regeneration of anti-HIV-1 immune responses with the potential to control viremia, activate and eradicate viral reservoirs, and alleviate the immunosuppression caused by HIV-1, eventually possibly reaching the status of a virologically defined ‘elite controller’ with an absence of detectable viremia and no progression to disease over a long period of time. This article summarizes pilot studies utilizing therapeutic vaccines, cytokines and/or hormones in treated HIV-1 infection, and focuses on novel agents and immunotherapeutic options that may have the potential to augment or replace existing antiretroviral therapy with the aim of inducing nonprogressor status in the infected host.