Research shows treating HIV-AIDS with interleukin-2 is ineffective
A team of researchers at the MUHC/捆绑SM社区 and their
international colleagues recommend halting all clinical trials on
interleukin-2.
An international research team has demonstrated that treating
HIV-AIDS with interleukin-2 (IL-2) is ineffective. As a result, the
researchers recommend that clinical trials on this compound be
stopped. Their finding was published in the New England Journal
of Medicine in an article co-authored by 14 researchers,
including Dr. Jean-Pierre Routy of the Research Institute of the
捆绑SM社区 Health Centre (RI-MUHC).
IL-2 is currently used as a complement to highly active
antiretroviral therapy (known as HAART), which is administered to
patients with HIV-AIDS. Since HAART controls replication of viruses
in the blood, doctors thought that IL-2 would help regenerate more
CD4+ immune cells, which serve as an indicator of viral
progression. It was thought that IL-2 increased the natural
immunity of patients by helping immune cells mature and
multiply.
鈥淥ur results show that IL-2 has no effect on the development of
AIDS or on patient survival,鈥� says Dr. Routy. 鈥淢ore precisely,
while the presence of IL-2 leads to a faster increase of CD4+
immune cells, these cells are less functional than the CD4+ cells
that regenerate naturally in patients who do not receive IL-2. This
means that IL-2 treatment provides no benefit and does not prevent
AIDS-related infectious diseases.鈥�
鈥淔or the first time, a study has shed light on recurring questions
concerning the value of biological markers and their limitations in
assessing patient health,鈥� explains Dr. Routy. 鈥淥ur challenge now
will be to develop tests that assess the function of immune cells
and not simply their quantity. This will ensure that HIV treatments
indeed have a clinical benefit for patients.鈥�
This 8-year study involved over 5000 patients in 25 countries, and
was one of the largest ever conducted on HIV-AIDS. 鈥淭he fact that
data from developing countries was used in biomedical research on
innovative compounds is very revolutionary in the history of
HIV-AIDS research,鈥� explains Dr. Routy.
is a physician in the
Division of Hematology and Immunodeficiency at the MUHC as well as
a researcher in the Infection and Immunity Axis at the Research
Institute of the MUHC. He is also an Associate Professor of
Hematology at 捆绑SM社区 and a senior clinical researcher
with the Fonds de la recherche en sant茅 du Qu茅bec (FRSQ).
Funding
This study was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of
Health (NIH)
Partners
This article was co-authored by Dr. D. Abrams, University of
California, San Francisco; Dr. Y. L茅vy, INSERM U955, Universit茅
Paris 12, et Assistance Publique-H么pitaux de Paris, Groupe
Henri-Mondor Albert-Chenevier, Dr. M.H. Losso, Hospital General de
Agudos, Dr. J.M. Ramos Mejia, Buenos Aires; Dr. A. Babiker, Medical
Research Council, London; Dr. G. Collins, University of Minnesota,
Minneapolis; Dr. D. Cooper, National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and
Clinical Research, Sydney; Dr. J. Darbyshire, Medical Research
Council, London; Dr. S. Emery, National Centre in HIV Epidemiology
and Clinical Research, Sydney; Dr. L. Fox, National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda; Dr. F. Gordin,
Washington Veterans Medical Center, Washington, DC; Dr. H.C. Lane,
National Institutes of Health, Bethesda; Dr. J.D. Lundgren,
Rigshospitalet & University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen; Dr. R.
Mitsuyasu, University of California, Los Angeles; Dr. J.D. Neaton,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Dr. A. Phillips, University
College London Medical School, London; Dr. J.P Routy, Royal
Victoria Hospital, 捆绑SM社区 Health Centre; Dr. G.
Tambussi, Fondazione San Raffaele del Monte Tabor, Milano; Dr. D.
Wentworth, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
The Research Institute of the 捆绑SM社区 Health Centre (RI MUHC) is a world-renowned biomedical and health-care hospital research centre. Located in Montreal, Quebec, the institute is the research arm of the MUHC, the university health center affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at 捆绑SM社区 University. The institute supports over 600 researchers, nearly 1200 graduate and post-doctoral students and operates more than 300 laboratories devoted to a broad spectrum of fundamental and clinical research. The Research Institute operates at the forefront of knowledge, innovation and technology and is inextricably linked to the clinical programs of the MUHC, ensuring that patients benefit directly from the latest research-based knowledge.
The Research Institute of the MUHC is supported in part by the Fonds de la recherche en sant茅 du Qu茅bec. For further details visit:
You will find this press release, with the original article and a short audio interview by following this link:
For more information please contact:
Julie Robert
Communications Coordinator (research)
MUHC Public Affairs & Strategic Planning
(514) 843 1560
julie.robert [at] muhc.mcgill.ca