A recent study by the IrsiCaixa Aids Research Institute published in Nature Medicine found that Isentress (raltegravir) intensification in individuals undergoing Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) can decrease active HIV replication and reduce immune activation.

Isentress is an integrase inhibitor that prevents insertion of viral DNA into human DNA, thus inhibiting the replication process.

With the use of Isentress, researchers were able to recognize the presence of HIV. This is because Isentress forms unique circular viral DNA when it blocks viral DNA from integration into human DNA.

The study was conducted on 69 subjects that had undetectable HIV plasma levels, or amount of virus in the blood, for a period of 5 years. The subjects were assigned to two treatment groups; one group received Isentress intensified HAART and the other group received non-intensified HAART, all for a period of 48 weeks.

Results from the non-intensified HAART group showed that even with suppressive treatment, active HIV replication existed in some individuals and even led to greater immune activation, which means that the immune system is activated to combat infections.

The study shows that in the intensified HAART group, Isentress was able to inhibit the HIV reservoir that promotes HIV replication.

The study suggests that these findings about Isentress have implications on therapeutic methods and should be considered in treatment.

Another study published in Nature Medicine also proposes a change in current HIV treatment.

In this study, researchers have found that HIV is able to hide in the bone marrow and collect as a reservoir of infected cells that are highly resistant to HAART and the immune response.

Additionally, other studies have found and suggested that macrophages (see related AIDS Beacon news) and T cells (see related AIDS Beacon news) should also be considered in HIV treatment.

This is the first study to find evidence of HIV causing infections in cells despite treatment. These results show that HIV is hard to combat and that current HAART treatment may need to be modified in order to attack HIV at all levels.