Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) Treatment for Immune Non-responders With HIV-1 Infection

Summary

HIV-1 infection is characterized by progressive depletion of CD4+ T cells that eventually leads to clinically significant immunodeficiency. A chronic generalized immune activation is now being recognized to be the main driving force for T cell depletion, loss of anti-HIV-1 immunity and disease progression during chronic HIV-1 infection. However, it is still unknown whether reducing immune activation will restore CD4 T cell counts and leading to immune reconstitution in chronic HIV infection. Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook F (TwHF) has been demonstrated to decrease immune activation of the host, and can suppress inflammation in human diseases. Here, the investigators propose a hypothesis that TwHF can reduce immune over-activation which subsequently leads to the restoration of CD4 T-cell counts and immune reconstitution in HIV-infected immune non-responders.

Timeline

Start

2012-06

Primary completion

2016-12

Completion

2016-12

Publications

• Background Hammer SM, Squires KE, Hughes MD, Grimes JM, Demeter LM, Currier JS, Eron JJ Jr, Feinberg JE, Balfour HH Jr, Deyton LR, Chodakewitz JA, Fischl MA. A controlled trial of two nucleoside analogues plus indinavir in persons with human immunodeficiency virus infection and CD4 cell counts of 200 per cubic millimeter or less. AIDS Clinical Trials Group 320 Study Team. N Engl J Med. 1997 Sep 11;337(11):725-33. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199709113371101.
• Background Mocroft A, Vella S, Benfield TL, Chiesi A, Miller V, Gargalianos P, d'Arminio Monforte A, Yust I, Bruun JN, Phillips AN, Lundgren JD. Changing patterns of mortality across Europe in patients infected with HIV-1. EuroSIDA Study Group. Lancet. 1998 Nov 28;352(9142):1725-30. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(98)03201-2.
• Background Appay V, Sauce D. Immune activation and inflammation in HIV-1 infection: causes and consequences. J Pathol. 2008 Jan;214(2):231-41. doi: 10.1002/path.2276.
• Background Li T, Wu N, Dai Y, Qiu Z, Han Y, Xie J, Zhu T, Li Y. Reduced thymic output is a major mechanism of immune reconstitution failure in HIV-infected patients after long-term antiretroviral therapy. Clin Infect Dis. 2011 Nov;53(9):944-51. doi: 10.1093/cid/cir552. Epub 2011 Sep 29.
• Background Goldbach-Mansky R, Wilson M, Fleischmann R, Olsen N, Silverfield J, Kempf P, Kivitz A, Sherrer Y, Pucino F, Csako G, Costello R, Pham TH, Snyder C, van der Heijde D, Tao X, Wesley R, Lipsky PE. Comparison of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F versus sulfasalazine in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2009 Aug 18;151(4):229-40, W49-51. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-151-4-200908180-00005.
• Background Kupchan SM, Court WA, Dailey RG Jr, Gilmore CJ, Bryan RF. Triptolide and tripdiolide, novel antileukemic diterpenoid triepoxides from Tripterygium wilfordii. J Am Chem Soc. 1972 Oct 4;94(20):7194-5. doi: 10.1021/ja00775a078. No abstract available.
• Background Ji SM, Wang QW, Chen JS, Sha GZ, Liu ZH, Li LS. Clinical trial of Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook F. in human kidney transplantation in China. Transplant Proc. 2006 Jun;38(5):1274-9. doi: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2006.03.017.
• Background Tao X, Lipsky PE. The Chinese anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive herbal remedy Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2000 Feb;26(1):29-50, viii. doi: 10.1016/s0889-857x(05)70118-6.
• Background Qiu D, Zhao G, Aoki Y, Shi L, Uyei A, Nazarian S, Ng JC, Kao PN. Immunosuppressant PG490 (triptolide) inhibits T-cell interleukin-2 expression at the level of purine-box/nuclear factor of activated T-cells and NF-kappaB transcriptional activation. J Biol Chem. 1999 May 7;274(19):13443-50. doi: 10.1074/jbc.274.19.13443.
• Background Tao X, Schulze-Koops H, Ma L, Cai J, Mao Y, Lipsky PE. Effects of Tripterygium wilfordii hook F extracts on induction of cyclooxygenase 2 activity and prostaglandin E2 production. Arthritis Rheum. 1998 Jan;41(1):130-8. doi: 10.1002/1529-0131(199801)41:13.0.CO;2-4.

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