A pièce de resistance: how HIV-1 escapes small molecule CCR5 inhibitors. Review uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Small molecule inhibitors targeting the CCR5 coreceptor represent a new class of drugs for treating HIV-1 infection. Maraviroc has received regulatory approvals, and vicriviroc is in phase 3 trials. Understanding how resistance to these drugs develops and is diagnosed is essential to guide clinical practice. We review what has been learned from in-vitro resistance studies, and how this relates to what is being seen, or can be anticipated, in clinical studies. RECENT FINDINGS: The principal resistance pathway in vitro involves continued use of CCR5 in an inhibitor-insensitive manner; the resistant viruses recognize the inhibitor-CCR5 complex, as well as free CCR5. Switching to use the CXCR4 coreceptor is rare. The principal genetic pathway involves accumulating 2-4 sequence changes in the gp120 V3 region, but a non-V3 pathway is also known. The limited information available from clinical studies suggests that a similar escape process is followed in vivo. However, the most common change associated with virologic failure involves expansion of pre-existing, CXCR4-using viruses that are insensitive to CCR5 inhibitors. SUMMARY: HIV-1 escapes small molecule CCR5 inhibitors by continuing to use CCR5 in an inhibitor-insensitive manner, or evades them by expanding naturally insensitive, CXCR4-using variants.

publication date

  • March 1, 2009

Research

keywords

  • Anti-HIV Agents
  • CCR5 Receptor Antagonists
  • Drug Resistance, Viral
  • HIV Fusion Inhibitors
  • HIV-1

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC2896203

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 65549155322

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1097/COH.0b013e3283223d46

PubMed ID

  • 19339950

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 4

issue

  • 2