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Review
. 2021 Aug 27;10(9):2227.
doi: 10.3390/cells10092227.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in People Living with HIV/AIDS: Facts and Controversies

Valeria Castelli  1 , Andrea Lombardi  1   2 , Emanuele Palomba  1 , Giorgio Bozzi  1 , Riccardo Ungaro  1 , Laura Alagna  1 , Davide Mangioni  1 , Antonio Muscatello  1 , Alessandra Bandera  1   2   3 , Andrea Gori  1   2   3
Affiliations
Review

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in People Living with HIV/AIDS: Facts and Controversies

Valeria Castelli et al. Cells. .

Abstract

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are reshaping the landscape of cancer treatment, redefining the prognosis of several tumors. They act by restoring the cytotoxic activity of tumor-specific T lymphocytes that are in a condition of immune exhaustion. The same condition has been widely described in chronic HIV infection. In this review, we dissect the role of ICIs in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHIV). First, we provide an overview of the immunologic scenario. Second, we discuss the possible use of ICIs as adjuvant treatment of HIV to achieve elimination of the viral reservoir. Third, we examine the influence of HIV infection on ICI safety and effectiveness. Finally, we describe how the administration of ICIs impacts opportunistic infections.

Keywords: HIV; immune checkpoint inhibitors; immune exhaustion.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
An overview of the immune exhaustion process occurring in PLWHIV. (PD-1, programmed death cell protein-1; CTLA-4, anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4; TIM-3, T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3; TIGIT, T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains; LAG-3, lymphocyte-activation gene 3; PD-L1, PD-1 ligand 1; APC, antigen-presenting cell; IL-10, interleukin 10; IFN-γ, interferon gamma; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; IL-2 interleukin 2).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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