Pyroptosis block to prevent CD۴ cell death in Acquired immune deficiency syndrome: a systematic review

Background and aim: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a severe loss of the body s cellular immunity. Aids are a potentially life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).AIDS is a global pandemic. As of ۲۰۱۶, approximately ۳۶.۷ million people have HIV. There is currently no cure or effective HIV vaccine. Treatment consists of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) which slows progression of the disease. Studying the relation of new antiretroviral drug (caspase-۱ inhibitor) and aids treatment is a main goal.Methods: This essaywas a systematic review of English articles published in PubMed, Nature andScience since ۲۰۱۰. Being up to date, matching with keywords and accessing the full text were incoming metrics.×Results: The papers address a mystery: why immune cells die in people with HIV. A ۲۰۱۰ study showed that HIV does not directly kill most of these cells, called CD۴ cells. Instead, the cells often self-destruct. They found that most of the cellular suicide occurs via a process called  inhibitor made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VX-۷۶۵) had already been tested in humans as a potential treatment for epilepsy. The drug, failed to help epileptics, but studies suggested that it was safe. Scientists tested VX-۷۶۵ in HIV-infected cells cultured from human tonsils and spleens, and found that it blocked pyroptosis and prevented CD۴ cell death.Conclusion: The approach could one day provide an alternative to the antiretroviral drugs currently used by ۹.۷ million people worldwide to manage HIV infection.HIV infection causes a mass suicide of immune cells a process that can be halted by an experimental drug such as VX-۷۶۵ that blocks cellular self-destruction

Keywords:

AIDS/HIV treatment , pyroptosis , caspase-۱ inhibitor , Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VX-۷۶۵)