BioCentury
ARTICLE | Distillery Therapeutics

Therapeutics: DEAD box polypeptide 58 (DDX58; RIG-I); histone deacetylase (HDAC)

June 23, 2016 7:00 AM UTC

In vitro studies suggest the DDX58 agonist Soriatane acitretin could help treat HIV. In T cells from healthy volunteers infected ex vivo with HIV, Soriatane decreased levels of viral DNA 72 hours after infection compared with vehicle, and Soriatane plus the HDAC inhibitor Zolinza vorinostat, a reactivator of latently infected cells, reduced viral DNA to undetectable levels, whereas neither agent alone did so. In CD4+ T cells from HIV patients on antiretroviral therapy, Soriatane alone or with Zolinza decreased viral DNA levels compared with vehicle or a combination of mAbs against CD3 and CD28. Also in the patient-derived cells, Soriatane increased apoptosis of infected cells but not uninfected cells, whereas the anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 mAbs increased apoptosis of both cell types. Next steps include investigating the mechanisms downstream of DDX58 activation.

GlaxoSmithKline plc markets the oral retinoid Soriatane to treat psoriasis. ...