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 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 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 reservoir by inducing HIV-1 expression from latent infected cells. Unfortunately, many of these agents have not demonstrated latent reservoir reduction in physiologically relevant concentrations in clinical trials. Additionally, increasing the dose of these agents is prohibitive due to potential systemic toxicity.
This technology is a bispecific antibody-like molecule that enables targeted delivery of a potent HIV latency reversal agent. This molecule targets CD4+ T-cells and IL-15 receptor simultaneously, increasing the effectiveness and specificity of targeting the HIV-1 reservoir. The technology may be used to selectively reverse HIV latency in CD4+ T cell populations and can also improve the targeting of current latency reversal agents. As such, this technology can serve as a treatment for HIV and a method to further study the HIV-1 latency reservoir.
This technology has been validated in vitro with samples from HIV-1 patients.
Patent Pending(WO/2024/192185)
IR CU23253
Licensing Contact: Kristin Neuman