This study involves researching new approaches to treating HIV infection. Currently, HIV
infection is treated with combinations of drugs called antiretrovirals. These drugs protect
cells from infection by interfering with the viruses' ability to make copies of itself by
infecting new target cells. Though these drugs are very effective, they cannot cure HIV
infection and must be taken each and every day at prescribed doses to maintain their
beneficial effect. This research study is investigating a new approach that involves an
addition to existing medications.
The study is investigating a medication called Poly-ICLC (Hiltonol®, Oncovir), which is an
adjuvant. Adjuvants are medications that are designed to boost your body's immune responses
resulting from a vaccine. The investigators want to test whether Poly-ICLC is an adjuvant
that is effective in HIV-infected patients. A vaccine is not given in this study, but just
investigating the adjuvant, Poly-ICLC, to determine whether it may be safe and useful in
future vaccines that could be used to treat HIV, called therapeutic vaccines. One goal of
future therapeutic vaccines is to reduce the virus that remains persistently inside of cells
in a dormant or resting state despite treatment with HIV medications. This persistent pool is
termed the "latent virus pool" or "viral reservoir". One tactic to reduce this viral
reservoir is to first stimulate HIV to start replicating in order to force it out of hiding.
Once viral replication occurs, the infected cells may then be recognized and killed by cells
of the immune system. Therefore, we also want to see what effect Poly-ICLC has on the virus
that lives inside of cells. Specifically, the investigators want to look at whether Poly-ICLC
increases the level of virus inside your cells while also improving your immune system's
responses.
The investigators are doing this research in hope to find new ways to treat HIV infection
that may reduce exposure to medications that are called antiretrovirals. Antiretrovirals are
medications used to treat HIV infection. They are very effective but have side effects and
have to be taken each and every day and cannot cure HIV.
Phase:
Phase 1/Phase 2
Details
Lead Sponsor:
Nina Bhardwaj
Collaborators:
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) National Institutes of Health (NIH) Oncovir, Inc. The Campbell Foundation