Gene Therapy Studies for the Treatment of HIV Infection
Pablo Tebas, MD
Professor of Medicine
Director and Principal Investigator, AIDS clinical trial unit research site
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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| Learning Objectives for: Gene Therapy Studies for the Treatment of HIV Infection | Top of page |
At the completion of this educational session, participants should be able to:
- Know the different gene therapy approaches that are being taken to treat HIV infection and the role of zinc finger nucleases.
- Discuss the potential side effects of these approaches.
- Understand other potential strategies beyond gene therapy to control HIV in the absence of antiretroviral therapy.
Pablo Tebas directs the adult AIDS Clinical Trials Unit (ACTU) of the University of Pennsylvania. His main research interests are the treatment of HIV infection and the study of the metabolic complications associated with HIV infection and its treatment The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy has resulted in significant reductions in the morbidity and mortality associated with HIV infection. Unfortunately, the use of HAART has also been associated with significant adverse effects, including dyslipidemia and insulin resistance, bone disease and fat redistribution. Current studies are directed to understand better the mechanisms of these complications and prevent their development.
Current outpatient and inpatient clinical activities center in the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where he follows general ID and HIV infected patients.
| How To Get CME for Gene Therapy Studies for the Treatment of HIV Infection | Top of page |
To obtain CME credit for this and other PRN programs, please visit the
PRN Video Channel at the Clinical Education Initiative (CEI) web site. PRN and the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY) jointly sponsor PRN enduring materials for CME, and provide them at no cost to the AIDS Institute of the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) for broadcast through the CEI. We thank the NYSDOH for making our CME programs available to a wider audience, and hope you will also browse the many other educational opportunities offered by the CEI.
| More about Gene Therapy Studies for the Treatment of HIV Infection | Top of page |
Can HIV disease be cured? If a cure is defined as the permanent remission of HIV disease and its consequences in the absence of antiretroviral therapy, then Timothy Brown, the "Berlin patient,"was cured. (Also see the PRN video of Gero Hütter's detailed discussion of his Berlin patient.) And even though this remains an isolated case, the priority of NIH funding for HIV research has since shifted to a cure. In this presentation, Pablo Tebas highlights new research, in the aftermath of the Berlin patient, to identify HIV reservoirs and ways to eliminate them, gene therapy approaches that mimic the benefits of CCR5 deficient stem cell transplantation, and boosting the immune response with therapeutic vaccines an immune modulators. Yes, there is hope again, for a cure after all.
