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Publication
Cura do HIV : barreiras e perspetivas futuras
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| 3.67 MB | Adobe PDF |
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
A infeção pelo HIV-1 é atualmente considerada uma das doenças mais
preocupantes e investigadas em todo o mundo. Desde o seu aparecimento, estudos
exaustivos têm vindo a ser realizados, de modo a controlar a epidemia, que tem vindo a
causar milhares de mortos em todo o Mundo. Deste modo, a investigação científica tem
surtido enormes avanços, sendo que, atualmente, é possível diminuir a sua carga viral até níveis indetetáveis através da terapêutica antirretroviral, impedindo assim a sua
capacidade de deteriorar o sistema imunitário, permitindo aos indivíduos infetados viver
com a infeção.
Porém, não há ainda uma vacina contra o HIV, e as taxas de prevalência e de incidência continuam bastante elevadas, pelo que a cura da doença é uma hipótese em investigação. Existem dois tipos de cura: cura funcional e cura efetiva.
Várias estratégias têm vindo a ser desenvolvidas e melhoradas, incluindo o tratamento muito precoce e agressivo, vacinas terapêuticas, imunoterapêutica e “blockand-
lock” para a cura funcional e, para a cura efetiva, a edição genómica, terapia genética
e “shock-and-kill”. Todas elas têm grande potencial, sendo o maior obstáculo da cura os
reservatórios virais. Até hoje, em apenas alguns casos foi observada uma cura funcional
temporária e, apenas num único caso se atingiu a cura efetiva. Por esse motivo, tem-se
vindo a estudar intensivamente as características dos reservatórios virais, os locais onde
estes se armazenam, e de que modo estes podem ser erradicados, ou permanecer inativos sem necessidade de recorrer a terapêutica.
The HIV-1 infection is considered one of the most worrying and currently investigated diseases. Since its inception, exhaustive studies have been carried out in order to control the epidemic, which has caused thousands of deaths worldwide. Thus, scientific research has made enormous strides, and it is now possible to reduce the loads to undetectable levels through antiretroviral therapy, thereby impeding its ability to impair the immune system, allowing infected individuals to live with the infection. However, there is still no vaccine against HIV, and prevalence and incidence rates remain high, so cure of the disease is a hypothesis under investigation. There are two types of cure: functional cure and sterilizing cure. Several strategies have been developed and improved, including very early and aggressive treatment, therapeutic vaccines, immunotherapy and “block-and-lock” for a functional cure, and gene editing, gene therapy and “shock-and-kill” for a sterilizing cure. All of them have great potential, being reservoirs the major obstacle for cure. To date, in only a few cases a functional cure has been observed and a sterilizing cure has been achieved in only one case. For this reason, the characteristics of viral reservoirs, the places where they are stored, and the way in which they can be eradicated, or remain inactive without the need for therapeutic treatment, have been intensively studied.
The HIV-1 infection is considered one of the most worrying and currently investigated diseases. Since its inception, exhaustive studies have been carried out in order to control the epidemic, which has caused thousands of deaths worldwide. Thus, scientific research has made enormous strides, and it is now possible to reduce the loads to undetectable levels through antiretroviral therapy, thereby impeding its ability to impair the immune system, allowing infected individuals to live with the infection. However, there is still no vaccine against HIV, and prevalence and incidence rates remain high, so cure of the disease is a hypothesis under investigation. There are two types of cure: functional cure and sterilizing cure. Several strategies have been developed and improved, including very early and aggressive treatment, therapeutic vaccines, immunotherapy and “block-and-lock” for a functional cure, and gene editing, gene therapy and “shock-and-kill” for a sterilizing cure. All of them have great potential, being reservoirs the major obstacle for cure. To date, in only a few cases a functional cure has been observed and a sterilizing cure has been achieved in only one case. For this reason, the characteristics of viral reservoirs, the places where they are stored, and the way in which they can be eradicated, or remain inactive without the need for therapeutic treatment, have been intensively studied.
Description
Dissertação para obtenção do grau de Mestre no Instituto Universitário Egas Moniz
Keywords
HIV Cura Reservatórios TARV