The purpose of this study is to determine the safety, pharmacology and bioactivity of disulfiram in antiretroviral treated HIV-infected adults. The investigators primary hypothesis is that 3 days of disulfiram will result in an increase in HIV transcription in CD4+ T-cells in patients on suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART).
Combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV-1 infection can suppress viremia to below the detection limit in the vast majority of motivated individuals with access to these drugs. However, HIV-1 persists in a small pool of latently infected resting memory CD4+ T cells carrying integrated viral genomes. Although other reservoirs for HIV-1 exist, the general consensus among experts is that latent virus (HIV DNA in resting memory CD4+ T cells) is the primary barrier to HIV-1 eradication. A widely discussed approach for eliminating this viral reservoir requires reactivation of latent HIV-1. Disulfiram, an FDA-approved drug used to treat alcoholism was shown to activate HIV-1 gene expression in vitro, suggesting that activation of latently infected cells in vivo may occur. Our primary hypothesis is that the addition of disulfiram to a stable effective antiretroviral drug regimen will result in a dose dependent increase in HIV transcription in CD4+ T-cells in HIV-1 in patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
30
This study will provide open label disulfiram. Subjects will take 1 dose of disulfiram per day for 3 days.
San Francisco General Hospital
San Francisco, California, United States
Alfred Hospital
Melbourne, Australia
Cell-associated HIV RNA
Fold change cell-associated HIV RNA in Total CD4 T-Cells.
Time frame: Baseline and 3 days
Plasma HIV RNA
Fold change in plasma HIV RNA levels from baseline through day 3
Time frame: Baseline and 3 days
Proviral HIV DNA
Fold change in HIV DNA levels between Baseline and Day 30
Time frame: Baseline and 30 days
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