|
Granulocyte-macrophage
Colony Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) as an Immune-based Therapy in
HIV Infection
The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to spread despite more than 20 years
of significant research and major advances in its treatment.
The introduction of HAART in recent years
has significantly improved disease treatment with a dramatic impact
in HIV/AIDS associated morbidity and mortality
in countries which have access to this therapy.
Despite these advances, such therapies are imperfect and other
therapeutic modalities, including immune-based therapies,
are being actively sought.
Potential benefits of immune-based therapies include: 1) the
improvement of HIV-specific immunity to enhance control of viral
replication, 2) the improvement of other aspects of host immunity
in order to prevent or delay the development of opportunistic infections
and 3) the potential to purge virus from cellular reservoirs which
are sustained despite the effects of potent antiretroviral therapy.
Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating
factor (GM-CSF) has been studied as one of these immune-based therapies.
Several randomized, controlled trials have demonstrated benefits
of using GM-CSF as an adjunct to conventional anti-retroviral therapy,
although such benefits have not been universally observed.
Individual studies have shown that GM-CSF increases CD4+
T cell counts and may be associated with decreased
plasma HIV RNA levels.
There is limited evidence that GM-CSF may help prevent the
emergence of antiretroviral drug resistant virus and that
it may decrease the risk of infection in advanced HIV disease.
The authors conclude, “Despite its high costs and the need
to be administered subcutaneously, encouraging results continue
to emerge from further studies, suggesting that GM-CSF has the potential
to become an effective agent in the treatment of HIV infection.”
06/08/05
Reference
P
A Brown and J B Angel. Granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating
factor as an immune-based therapy in HIV infection. Journal of
Immune Based Therapies and Vaccines 18;3(1): May 3, 2005 [Epub
ahead of print]
Link to Index of All HIV and AIDS
Articles by Topic
|
