Development of a New Family of HIV Latency Regulators (LRAs) Targeting the Tat Viral Protein

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) prevents HIV from multiplying. However, if people living with HIV stop taking ART, the virus quickly reappears in their blood due to the random activation of hidden infected cells. These hidden cells contain HIV that is not active and do not produce the virus. These cells are a major challenge in finding a cure for HIV. One of the most promising ways to get rid of these hidden infected cells is by activating them with special drugs called latency-reversing agents (LRAs). This process, known as the "shock-and-kill" strategy, involves waking up the hidden virus ("shock" phase) so that it can be destroyed by the body's immune system or by the virus itself ("kill" phase). Investigators are developing new LRAs that target and activate a viral protein called Tat, which is necessary for the virus to start producing again and for reversing its dormant state.The lead compound, named D10, is the first of its kind to target the Tat protein. This compound has been patented and has shown activity in activating the virus in lab-grown cells. Now, investigators need to test its effectiveness on real target cells from people living with HIV.