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Rapamycin Enhances CAR-T Control of HIV Replication and Reservoir Elimination in vivo

ABSTRACT: Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy shows promise for various diseases. Our studies in humanized mice and non-human primates (NHPs) demonstrate that hematopoietic stem cell (HSCs) modified with anti-HIV CAR achieve lifelong engraftment, providing functional anti-viral CAR-T cells that reduce viral rebound after ART withdrawal. However, T cell exhaustion due to chronic immune activation remains a key obstacle for sustained CAR-T efficacy, necessitating additional measures to achieve functional cure. We recently showed that low dose rapamycin treatment reduced inflammation and improved anti-HIV T cell function in HIV-infected humanized mice. Here, we report that rapamycin improved CAR-T cell function both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro treatment with rapamycin enhanced CAR-T cell mitochondria respiration and cytotoxicity. In vivo treatment with low-dose rapamycin in HIV-infected, CAR-HSC mice decreased chronic inflammation, prevented exhaustion of CAR-T cells and improved CAR-T control of viral replication. RNAseq analysis of CAR-T cells from humanized mice showed that rapamycin downregulated multiple checkpoint inhibitors and the upregulated key survival genes. Mice treated with CAR-HSCs and rapamycin had delayed viral rebound post-ART and reduced HIV reservoir compared to CAR-HSCs alone. These findings suggest that HSCs-based anti-HIV CAR-T combined with rapamycin treatment is a promising approach for treating persistent inflammation and improving immune control of HIV replication.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE284491 | GEO | 2025/04/09

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Therapeutic strategies that enhance anti-viral immunity and reduce the viral reservoir are critical to achieving durable remission of HIV. The co-inhibitory receptor programmed death-1 (PD-1) regulates CD8+ T cell dysfunction during chronic HIV and SIV infections 1-4. In addition, PD-1+ CD4+ T cells constitute a significant fraction of the HIV/SIV viral reservoir5-7. We previously demonstrated that in vivo blockade of PD-1 during chronic SIV infection improves the function of anti-viral CD8+ T cells and B cells 4,8. However, the immunological effects of PD-1 blockade during anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and the potential to destabilize the persistent HIV/SIV reservoir have not been studied. Here, we show that administration of anti-PD-1 antibody (PD-1 Ab) 10 days prior to initiation of ART rapidly enhanced anti-viral CD8+ T cell function and diminished interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) that resulted in markedly improved viral suppression in plasma and better Th17 cell reconstitution in the rectal mucosa following ART initiation. In addition, PD-1 blockade during suppressive ART resulted in transient increases in plasma viremia, induction of gene signatures associated with effector CD8+ T cell function and ISGs, and lower levels of cell associated replication-competent virus suggesting destabilization of the viral reservoir. Following ART interruption, PD-1 Ab treated animals showed markedly higher expansion of proliferating CXCR5+ Perforin+ Granzyme B+ effector CD8+ T cells and lower regulatory T cells that resulted in delayed viral rebound and better control of viremia. PD-1 blockade administered only during suppressive ART however was only partially effective. Our results indicate an optimal regimen of PD-1 blockade administered in combination with ART, that augments anti-viral CD8+ T cell function and reduces the viral reservoir leading to improved control of viral rebound after ART interruption. These results have important implications for developing novel therapeutic interventions to achieve durable remission of HIV.

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Rapamycin Enhances CAR-T Control of HIV Replication and Reservoir Elimination in vivo

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