Abstract
Dendritic cells (DC) are key phagocytic cells that play crucial roles in both the innate and adaptive immune responses against the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). By processing and presenting pathogen-derived antigens, dendritic cells initiate a directed response against infected cells. They activate the adaptive immune system upon recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) on infected cells. During the course of HIV-1 infection, a successful adaptive (cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell) response is necessary for preventing the progression and spread of infection in a variety of cells. Dendritic cells have thus been recognized as a valuable tool in the development of immunotherapeutic approaches and vaccines effective against HIV-1. The advancements in dendritic cell vaccines in cancers have paved the way for applications of this form of immunotherapy to HIV-1 infection. Clinical trials with patients infected with HIV-1 who are well-suppressed by antiretroviral therapy (ART) were recently performed to assess the efficacy of DC vaccines, with the goal of mounting an HIV-1 antigen-specific T-cell response, ideally to clear infection and eliminate the need for long-term ART. This review summarizes and compares methods and efficacies of a number of DC vaccine trials utilizing autologous dendritic cells loaded with HIV-1 antigens. The potential for advancement and novel strategies of improving efficacy of this type of immunotherapy is also discussed.
Highlights
Despite the demonstrated efficacy of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), treatment of infection by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) still necessitates life-long use of ART to effectively suppress viremia in infected patients
The protection from disease progression in these individuals has been attributed to robust HIV-1-specific antigen presentation and a CD8+ cytotoxic Tlymphocyte (CTL) response targeted against HIV-1 [1, 2]
The dendritic cell immunotherapy approach may still be a promising method of immunotherapy targeted at increasing the efficacy of an individual’s own immune response against HIV-1 infection
Summary
Despite the demonstrated efficacy of combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), treatment of infection by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) still necessitates life-long use of ART to effectively suppress viremia in infected patients This is partly attributed to ineffective HIV-1-specific cell-mediated immune responses due to impaired dendritic cell function in many patients on ART. A personalized immunotherapy approach for the treatment of HIV-1 infection has been the aim of many recent studies, which have focused on helping the patient’s own immune response better target and clear HIV-1infected cells To this end, clinical trials using autologous dendritic cell-based vaccines have been conducted. The added advantage of this approach is that it has allowed various methods of ex vivo manipulation, such as coculture systems using patient DCs with T-cells The goal of this form of immunotherapy has been to establish a sustained T-cell response against HIV-1 in infected patients, ideally without the concern for viral rebound. The design as well as the results obtained from a number of recent clinical trials involving the use of HIV-1-specific DC vaccines will be discussed to give insights with respect to the potential of this immunotherapy approach to provide a practical tool for HIV-1 treatment
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
