The Wistar Institute’s Post

Engineered T cells called CAR T cells have been used to treat challenging diseases like aggressive cancers and autoimmune conditions. And now, The Wistar Institute’s Dr. Daniel Claiborne, is applying the science of CAR T cells to one of the most challenging questions in biomedical research: the search for an effective HIV cure. We sat down with Dr. Claiborne to learn more about how his research will support the emboldened HIV research mission at Wistar through the new HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center. Read our story here: https://bit.ly/3VLOtab #HIV #HIVcure #research #celltherapy

CBD may be a promising therapy for people living with HIV. FIU researchers found CBD’s anti-inflammatory effects can essentially keep HIV-infected cells in the brain under control, preventing them from acting up. This is important because neuroinflammation associated with HIV creates a dangerous domino effect: inflammation causes infected cells hiding in the brain to activate, start the replication process and spread the virus back into the body. As published in Scientific Reports, the team showed CBD works at the molecular level to lower inflammation and keep these cells dormant. The suppression of both inflammation and the HIV-infected cells is key because of the way HIV acts. After it hijacks the immune cells in the bloodstream, HIV hitches a ride through the blood-brain barrier — designed to stop harmful substances from entering the brain. Once there, the virus targets microglia, the brain’s immune cells. These infected cells then go into a sort of hibernation. “Even though HIV crosses the blood-brain barrier, antiretroviral medicines that keep the virus from replicating cannot effectively cross the blood-brain barrier, and so the brain becomes a repository for HIV," explains Adriana Yndart, the study’s first author and FIU Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work Ph.D. student. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eRQSPKYJ #publichealth #cbd #HIV #research

The body can perform an amazing variety of functions with sugar structures, including essential immune actions. But what happens when our glycome — the totality of the sugars circulating throughout our body — becomes disrupted by chronic infection like HIV? In a large-scale study published in Nature Communications with the title “Immunoglobulin G N-glycan 1 Markers of Accelerated Biological Aging During Chronic HIV Infection,” Wistar’s Dr. Mohamed Abdel-Mohsen has worked with his collaborators to understand how and why HIV’s disruption of certain sugars called immunoglobulin N-glycans can lead to age- and inflammation-associated problems. "Utilizing glycan signatures to predict early onset of diseases in people living with HIV marks a pivotal shift towards proactive healthcare,” said Dr. Abdel-Mohsen. “This could significantly alter clinical outcomes, allowing for timely interventions and personalized treatment plans. Read our full story here: https://bit.ly/4aQfJJI #infection #research #HIV #chronic #inflammation #aging

The body can perform an amazing variety of functions with sugar structures, including essential immune actions. But what happens when our glycome — the totality of the sugars circulating throughout our body — becomes disrupted by chronic infection like HIV? In a large-scale study published in Nature Communications with the title “Immunoglobulin G N-glycan 1 Markers of Accelerated Biological Aging During Chronic HIV Infection,” Wistar’s Dr. Mohamed Abdel-Mohsen has worked with his collaborators to understand how and why HIV’s disruption of certain sugars called immunoglobulin N-glycans can lead to age- and inflammation-associated problems. "Utilizing glycan signatures to predict early onset of diseases in people living with HIV marks a pivotal shift towards proactive healthcare,” said Dr. Abdel-Mohsen. “This could significantly alter clinical outcomes, allowing for timely interventions and personalized treatment plans. Read our full story here: https://bit.ly/4aQfJJI #infection #research #HIV #chronic #inflammation #aging

Interesting approach for conditional suppression of HIV replication using its own genetic elements.

Dendritic cells: The master keys to unlocking closed doors in the complex maze of HIV treatment🗝 Since its outbreak, HIV has affected more than 75 million people worldwide. Currently, there is no effective cure for the disease. Dendritic cells (DCs), however, have shown great potential to unlocking innovative treatments for HIV 💊 Read more about this groundbreaking topic in our latest article by Silvia Tosolini where she delves into why DCs are promising therapeutic targets in the fight against HIV. https://lnkd.in/d4bxy9dR

🧬 New Drug Shows Promise in Clearing HIV from the Brain 🧠 A promising new approach to HIV treatment could help clear the virus from one of its toughest hiding places: the brain. A recent study highlights an experimental drug, originally developed for cancer treatment, that could target HIV-infected brain cells, offering a potential breakthrough. 💡 CSF1R Inhibition: A Key to Targeting Brain Macrophages 🧫 The drug works by inhibiting CSF1R, which regulates the survival of macrophages, immune cells that may harbor latent HIV. By blocking CSF1R, the drug depletes brain macrophages, potentially eliminating the virus from these hidden reservoirs. 🚨 Overcoming the HIV Brain Reservoir Challenge 🧠🦠 The brain has long been a challenging reservoir for HIV treatment. This drug's ability to remove infected brain cells could be a game-changer, making it possible to clear the virus from hard-to-reach areas and moving us closer to a complete HIV cure. 🌟 A New Hope in HIV Treatment 💊🧬 Although more research is needed, this promising approach could lead to more effective HIV treatments. By tackling even the brain’s HIV reservoirs, this experimental drug may become a vital tool in the fight against the virus. #HIVResearch #HIVTreatment #HIVCure #BrainHealth #CSF1R #Macrophages #HIVScience #InnovativeMedicine #CureHIV #MedicalBreakthrough

🌟 HIV In-Vitro Diagnostic Kits: Transforming Healthcare in India 🌟 HIV diagnostic kits are essential tools for detecting and managing HIV infections. With approximately 2.3 million people living with HIV in India, these kits are critical for early detection and preventing transmission. 🧬🩺 Principles and Mechanisms 🔬 ELISA: Detects HIV antibodies (IgG, IgM) and antigens (e.g., p24). ⚡ Rapid Tests: Quick point-of-care results in 15-30 minutes. 🧬 NAAT: Detects HIV RNA/DNA directly, useful for early infection. 🎯 Fourth-Generation Assays: Simultaneously detect antibodies and p24 antigen for reduced diagnostic window. Top Companies Leading the HIV Diagnostics Market in India ✅ J Mitra & Co.: Known for HIV TRI-DOT and ELISA kits. ✅ Transasia Bio-Medicals Ltd.: Comprehensive ELISA solutions. ✅ Meril Diagnostics: Advanced rapid and ELISA-based kits. ✅ Abbott Diagnostics: Fourth-generation ARCHITECT HIV Ag/Ab Combo. ✅ Roche Diagnostics: Expertise in NAAT and molecular assays. ✅ Erba Mannheim: Automated ELISA solutions for high throughput. Current Status of HIV Testing in India 📌 India has robust government support through NACO, providing free testing services at Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTCs). 📌 Rapid tests are widely used in rural areas for quick and accessible screening. 📌 The market is shifting towards fourth-generation tests for earlier and more accurate detection. Despite progress, challenges like stigma, limited awareness, and access barriers persist. Together, we can ensure better healthcare outcomes for everyone. 🌍💉 #HIVTesting #Diagnostics #PublicHealth #IVD #HealthcareInIndia #ELISA #RapidTests #NAAT #InnovationInDiagnostics

December 1st is World AIDS Day. HIV impacts ~39 million people worldwide. Despite effective treatments that prolong life and prevent the development of AIDS, #HIV cannot be cured and people living with HIV (PWLH) experience a reduced quality of life due to HIV-related co-morbidities associated with residual immune activation and dysfunction. Thus, research continues to search for ways to cure HIV infection and treat HIV-associated co-morbidities. Dr. Kerry J. Lavender’s Lab works to develop and test new strategies to cure HIV and to treat other unresolved health issues for #PLWH. In addition, the Lavender Lab is at the forefront of producing specialized mouse models for the study of HIV infection and the development and evaluation of new HIV treatments and cure strategies. Recently, the Lavender Lab has produced a mouse model that can be used to evaluate if soluble immune mediators, known as interferons, can be used to “supercharge” special killer cells in the human immune system to root out and destroy the HIV viruses that hide themselves deep in our cells and tissues preventing an HIV cure. Additionally, in partnership with OncoImmunin, Inc., the Lavender Lab has recently completed a “proof of concept” study. We showed that a novel therapeutic that may be effective in reducing the residual immune activation and dysfunction that relates to HIV-associated co-morbidities can be effectively delivered to multiple difficult-to-reach tissues where HIV resides with no toxicity to the HIV infected mice it was tested on. The group is now moving to the next stage of these exciting pre-clinical trials. Dr. Lavender is a recently tenured, Associate Professor with a growing research program. The lab is excited to be developing important mouse models of HIV infection to test their own and other’s novel strategies to improve the health and well-being of PLWH. Dr. Lavender’s favorite part of being part of #UsaskBMI is involving students and trainees in exciting cutting-edge research with translational potential and helping the next generation of scientists develop to meet their career goals. #AIDS #researchopportunities #interferons

In the decades since antiretroviral therapy became the standard of care for HIV, it has transformed quality of life for people living with the virus. The life-saving therapy—a combination of many medicines—prevents development of AIDS, improves immune function, and markedly lowers the risk of transmitting the virus to others. However, antiretroviral therapy is far from an HIV cure, says Gladstone virologist Melanie Ott. People who take the therapy still deal with chronic inflammation due to ongoing activation of the immune system, which can cause a host of other health problems—including higher rates of heart disease and certain cancers. And, if treatment is interrupted for even a short time, the virus bounces back. The reason for this, Ott says, is that the drugs that make up today’s antiretroviral therapy don’t completely block all lingering HIV cells in the body from being active, nor do they eliminate these infected cells. In a commentary article now appearing in the journal Nature Microbiology, Ott and her collaborators make the case for prioritizing a new type of medicine that can be added to current antiretroviral therapy to silence the so-called “transcriptionally active” infected cells of the HIV reservoir. Read more: https://bit.ly/3NnPYGW