Sustained virologic control in SIV + macaques after antiretroviral and α 4 β 7 antibody therapy

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2016-10, Vol.354 (6309), p.197-202
• Main Authors: Byrareddy, Siddappa N, Arthos, James, Cicala, Claudia, Villinger, Francois, Ortiz, Kristina T, Little, Dawn, Sidell, Neil, Kane, Maureen A, Yu, Jianshi, Jones, Jace W, Santangelo, Philip J, Zurla, Chiara, McKinnon, Lyle R, Arnold, Kelly B, Woody, Caroline E, Walter, Lutz, Roos, Christian, Noll, Angela, Van Ryk, Donald, Jelicic, Katija, Cimbro, Raffaello, Gumber, Sanjeev, Reid, Michelle D, Adsay, Volkan, Amancha, Praveen K, Mayne, Ann E, Parslow, Tristram G, Fauci, Anthony S, Ansari, Aftab A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Counting; Human immunodeficiency virus; Immune systems; Infusion; Lentivirus; Lymphocytes; Macaca; Replication; Retroviridae; Therapy; Viruses
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.aag1276

Antiretroviral drug therapy (ART) effectively suppresses replication of both the immunodeficiency viruses, human (HIV) and simian (SIV); however, virus rebounds soon after ART is withdrawn. SIV-infected monkeys were treated with a 90-day course of ART initiated at 5 weeks post infection followed at 9 weeks post infection by infusions of a primatized monoclonal antibody against the alpha 4 beta 7 integrin administered every 3 weeks until week 32. These animals subsequently maintained low to undetectable viral loads and normal CD4+ T cell counts in plasma and gastrointestinal tissues for more than 9 months, even after all treatment was withdrawn. This combination therapy allows macaques to effectively control viremia and reconstitute their immune systems without a need for further therapy.