Title:Perspectives of Genome-Editing Technologies for HIV Therapy
VOLUME: 14 ISSUE: 1
Author(s):Hirotaka Ebina, Peter Gee and Yoshio Koyanagi
Affiliation:Laboratory of Viral Pathogenesis, Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, 53 Shogoinkawara- cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
Keywords:CRISPR/Cas9, genome editing, HIV, latency, provirus, TALENs, ZFNs.
Abstract:Background: Current HIV antiretroviral therapies potently suppress virus replication and
prevent patients from progressing to AIDS but are unable to completely eliminate HIV due to the
existence of dormant viral reservoirs which threaten to reemerge at anytime. Recently, genome-editing
technologies that can recognize specific DNA sequences, including viral DNA, are being touted as
promising tools for curing HIV, owing to their specificity, ease of use, and ability to be custom
designed.
Conclusion: Here, we introduce several novel strategies aimed at eradicating HIV proviruses with state-of-the-art genomeediting
technologies and discuss perspectives of these approaches for curing HIV.