Rapamycin limits CD4+ T cell proliferation in simian immunodeficiency virus-infected rhesus macaques on antiretroviral therapy
Varco-Merth, Benjamin D ; Brantley, William ; Marenco, Alejandra ; Duell, Derick D ; Fachko, Devin N ; Richardson, Brian ; Busman-Sahay, Kathleen ; Shao, Danica ; Flores, Walter ; Engelman, Kathleen ... show 10 more
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Brantley, William
Marenco, Alejandra
Duell, Derick D
Fachko, Devin N
Richardson, Brian
Busman-Sahay, Kathleen
Shao, Danica
Flores, Walter
Engelman, Kathleen
Fukazawa, Yoshinori
Wong, Scott W
Skalsky, Rebecca L
Smedley, Jeremy
Axthelm, Michael K
Lifson, Jeffrey D
Estes, Jacob D
Edlefsen, Paul T
Picker, Louis J
Cameron, Cheryl Ma
Henrich, Timothy J
Okoye, Afam A
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Abstract
Proliferation of latently infected CD4+ T cells with replication-competent proviruses is an important mechanism contributing to HIV persistence during antiretroviral therapy (ART). One approach to targeting this latent cell expansion is to inhibit mTOR, a regulatory kinase involved with cell growth, metabolism, and proliferation. Here, we determined the effects of chronic mTOR inhibition with rapamycin with or without T cell activation in SIV-infected rhesus macaques (RMs) on ART. Rapamycin perturbed the expression of multiple genes and signaling pathways important for cellular proliferation and substantially decreased the frequency of proliferating CD4+ memory T cells (TM cells) in blood and tissues. However, levels of cell-associated SIV DNA and SIV RNA were not markedly different between rapamycin-treated RMs and controls during ART. T cell activation with an anti-CD3LALA antibody induced increases in SIV RNA in plasma of RMs on rapamycin, consistent with SIV production. However, upon ART cessation, both rapamycin and CD3LALA-treated and control-treated RMs rebounded in less than 12 days, with no difference in the time to viral rebound or post-ART viral load set points. These results indicate that, while rapamycin can decrease the proliferation of CD4+ TM cells, chronic mTOR inhibition alone or in combination with T cell activation was not sufficient to disrupt the stability of the SIV reservoir.
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Varco-Merth BD, Brantley W, Marenco A, Duell DD, Fachko DN, Richardson B, Busman-Sahay K, Shao D, Flores W, Engelman K, Fukazawa Y, Wong SW, Skalsky RL, Smedley J, Axthelm MK, Lifson JD, Estes JD, Edlefsen PT, Picker LJ, Cameron CM, Henrich TJ, Okoye AA. Rapamycin limits CD4+ T cell proliferation in simian immunodeficiency virus-infected rhesus macaques on antiretroviral therapy. J Clin Invest. 2022 May 16;132(10):e156063. doi: 10.1172/JCI156063. PMID: 35316218; PMCID: PMC9106346.