Enhancement by Poly-ICLC During HIV-1 Infection

Effective combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has dramatically altered the morbidity and mortality associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection. Nevertheless, the current treatment paradigm of lifelong antiviral therapy with near perfect patient adherence to avoid the emergence of drug resistant HIV remains less than ideal and this therapeutic approach has clear limitations. In addition to long term toxicities associated with currently preferred therapies, combination therapy for HIV-1 infection cannot address the issue of viral persistence. HIV-1 persists in both blood and tissue despite long-term suppression with antiretroviral agents (ARVs). Eradication strategies for HIV-1 are likely to require a multi-faceted approach to reduce the latent reservoir, with key components focusing upon both the disruption of viral latency and the enhancement of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) function to promote killing of infected cells. In order to successfully achieve these objectives, agents that safely stimulate replication of the latent reservoir AND explore approaches to enhance HIV-specific adaptive immunity to augment CTL function must be investigated. The investigators propose that this may be accomplished with a single therapeutic modality that is devised appropriately. Certain adjuvants may possess immunostimulatory properties that trigger transient activation of viral transcription while simultaneously enhancing HIV-specific CTL function and, thus, may play an important role in such a vaccine. Here, the investigators propose a proof of concept clinical trial to determine the ability of Poly-ICLC (Hiltonol®, Oncovir), to safely activate the latent viral reservoir and enhance innate immunity when administered to HIV-infected individuals. This randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study will administer two doses of Poly-ICLC to HIV-infected individuals whom are virologically suppressed on combination anti-retroviral therapy (cART). The investigators hypothesize that Poly-ICLC will be safe and well-tolerated and will transiently disrupt viral latency while enhancing innate immune responses. Should this be the case, then Poly-ICLC would be an ideal modality to combine with a therapeutic HIV vaccine to reduce the number of latently infected CD4+ T cells in treated HIV-1 infected individuals.