Thymosin α 1 potentiates the release by CD8+ cells of soluble factors able to inhibit HIV-1 and human T lymphotropic virus 1 infection in vitro. (July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Matteucci, Claudia; Minutolo, Antonella; Pollicita, Michela; Balestrieri, Emanuela; Grelli, Sandro; D'Ettorre, Gabriella; Vullo, Vincenzo; Bucci, Ilaria; Luchini, Alessandra; Aquaro, Stefano; Sinibaldi-Vallebona, Paola; Macchi, Beatrice; Perno, Carlo Federico; Mastino, Antonio; Garaci, Enrico
• Is Part Of: Expert opinion on biological therapy. Volume 15:Number 1(2015:Jan.)
• Page Start: 83
• Page End: 100
• Publication Date: 2015-07
• Subjects: Gene therapy -- Periodicals; Protein drugs -- Periodicals; Peptide drugs -- Periodicals; Immunotherapy -- Periodicals; Drug delivery systems -- Periodicals; 615.5
• DOI: 10.1517/14712598.2015.1021677
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-2598

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p> <bold> <italic>Background:</italic> </bold> Thymosin α-1 (Tα1) exploits a specific action on lymphoid cells and is able to induce in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) a strong transcriptional response. CD8 antiviral factor activity plays a role in the control or prevention of HIV-1 infection by a non-cytolytic mechanism. The ability of Tα1 to modulate the release of antiretroviral soluble factors by CD8<sup>+</sup> cells was investigated.</p> <p> <bold> <italic>Methods:</italic> </bold> Supernatants from lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated CD8<sup>+</sup>-isolated cells treated with Tα1 were screened on <italic>in vitro</italic> infection of human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) and PBMCs with HIV-1, and of PBMCs with human T lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1). In CD8<sup>+</sup> cells, as well as in PBMCs of healthy donors as from HIV<sup>+</sup> individuals, a microarray analysis to assess the transcriptional response after treatment was performed.</p> <p> <bold> <italic>Results:</italic> </bold> Tα1 potentiates the release, in LPS-stimulated CD8<sup>+</sup> cells, of soluble factors able to inhibit both <italic>in vitro</italic> HIV-1 infection of MDMs and PBMCs and <italic>in vitro</italic> HTLV-1 infection of PBMCs. A distinctive transcriptional profile was induced by Tα1 in PBMCs from HIV<sup>+</sup> donors.</p> <p> <bold> <italic>Conclusions:</italic> </bold> These findings suggest that Tα1 would represent a re-evaluated approach to antiretroviral therapy in combination with innovative treatments and with vaccine administration.</p> </abstract>