This technology is a method to target and eliminate the viral reservoir of latent HIV-1 using latency reversal agents facilitated by targeted delivery with bispecific monoclonal antibodies.
Current techniques to treat HIV involve the use of antiretroviral therapies to reduce HIV levels in the blood to undetectable levels. However, these therapies are unable to eliminate latent viral reservoir, which is established during primary HIV infection and comprised of subpopulations of CD4+ resting memory T cells. Latency reversal agents have been developed to target and eliminate the latent reservoir by inducing HIV-1 expression in infected cells. Existing latency reversal agents tested in clinical trials do not efficaciously reduce latent viral reservoirs to concentrations deemed therapeutically relevant. Concerns over the safety profile of existing latency reversal agents further limit their potential and restricts their potential application to very low doses.
This technology is a bispecific antibody-like molecule that enables targeted delivery of a potent HIV latency reversal agent. This molecule targets both CD4+ T-cells and the IL-15 receptor, increasing the effectiveness and specificity of the approach. The technology may be used to selectively reverse HIV latency in CD4+ T cell populations with refined accuracy as compared to existing latency reversal agents. This technology can serve as a treatment for HIV and a safe and efficacious method to perturb the HIV-1 latency reservoir in research and clinical settings.
This technology has been validated in vitro using samples from HIV-1 patients.
Patent Pending(US20260139037)
IR CU23253
Licensing Contact: Kristin Neuman
