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Curing HIV requires overcoming the virus’s ability to evolve. There have been many attempts to cure HIV through as many different mechanisms. A common fail point is that HIV is capable of evolving around a therapeutic mechanism given appropriate conditions.
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Curing HIV requires overcoming the virus’s ability to evolve • There have been many attempts to cure HIV through as many different mechanisms. • A common fail point is that HIV is capable of evolving around a therapeutic mechanism given appropriate conditions. • Any cure for HIV must overcome, or even better, utilize, it’s penchant for change. • Lethal mutagenesis uses HIV’s genomic promiscuity to bring it down.
Viral Specificity and Lack of Cytotoxicity are key in implementing Lethal Mutagenesis • In pushing HIV to evolutionary catastrophe, it’s important to leave the human host unharmed. • Viral mutagen must be administered in doses low enough to avoid cytotoxicity. • Viral mutagen must not be metabolized into a harmful molecule. • Viral mutagen must not alter genomic and mitochondrial DNA.
Progression of Lethal Mutagenesis has seen the development of more potent viral mutagens • Loeb, et. al. used 5’-OH-dC. While it proved that viral ablation through evolution was possible, the concentrations of drug required were near the cytotoxity limit. • Harris et. al. find in KP-1212 a drug that can be used in much lower doses with better results.