Reversing HIV Latency: A Step Forward

An important step toward eradicating HIV is reversing HIV latency so infected cells can be killed by reactivated virus or the host immune response. Two histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, vorinostat and panobinostat, have been shown to induce viral expression in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), but neither reduced the size of the latent HIV reservoir. Now, a trial of a particularly potent HDAC inhibitor, romidepsin, has been published.

This partially industry-supported, single-arm trial involved six HIV-infected patients on long-term ART. Each received three weekly infusions of romidepsin while continuing on ART. Following the infusions, HIV RNA levels in CD4 cells increased, indicating that the drug had activated viral ex…