Science Translational Medicine | June 23, 2021

SenGupta D, Brinson C, DeJesus E, Mills A, Shalit P, Guo S, Cai Y, Wallin JJ, Zhang L, Humeniuk R, Begley R, Geleziunas R, Mellors J, Wrin T, Jones N, Milush J, Ferre AL, Shacklett BL, Laird GM, Moldt B, Vendrame E, Brainard DM, Ramgopal M and Deeks SG

Science translational medicine. 2021;13

DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abg3071

ABSTRACT

A TLR7 agonist for HIV control

Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonists, combined with other therapies, can help to control immunodeficiency viruses in nonhuman primates. SenGupta et al. evaluated the safety and efficacy of vesatolimod, an oral TLR7 agonist, in people with HIV who had exhibited partial control of their virus—so-called “controllers”—before receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). Compared to placebo, vesatolimod was associated with an increase in interferon signaling and NK cell and T cell activation and a decay in the frequency of cells harboring intact HIV genomes. Vesatolimod also induced a modest increase in the time to virus rebound after ART was interrupted.