Description of Invention:
This application describes the methods for treating or preventing a HIV infection by the administration of abl-kinase inhibitor called imatinib and its derivatives. Several available agents can inhibit HIV replication by targeting one or another viral protein, such as the viral reverse transcriptase, protease, envelope fusion process, or integrase, or by targeting the interaction of a viral component with a host cell component, for example the host cell viral receptor or co-receptor. However, HIV can readily become resistant to these drugs, and new therapeutic approaches for HIV infection are needed. The studies described in the application show that the expression of many host cell genes changes in response to HIV replication, and show that targeting one of these changes with imatinib can inhibit viral replication. Thus targeting the host cell, and making the host cell less hospitable to the virus can inhibit viral replication. The application thus describes a new agent that inhibits viral replication by acting on the host cell, which may offer new approaches to therapy for HIV infection. These approaches may be less likely to engender rapid resistance in the virus to the therapy.
Inventors:
Drs. Steven Zeichner and Vyjayanthi Krishnan (NCI)
For Additional Information Please Contact: Sally Hu PhD MBA
NIH Office of Technology Transfer
6011 Executive Blvd, Suite 325
Rockville, MD 20852-3804
Phone: (301) 435-5606
Email: hus@mail.nih.gov
Fax: (301) 402-0220
