Conditions: HIV-1 Infection
Keywords: HIV HAART suppressed Disulfiram Antabuse Latent reservoir Eradication Cure
Allocation: NA | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 16
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to determine whether a two-week course of disulfiram will reduce the HIV-1 latent reservoir in patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

Detailed description:
This study is using a new approach to try and force HIV out of its protected cellular reservoirs.

Although current therapies are effective at "killing" new viruses that are produced, they are unable to access the virus in cells which were infected before antiretroviral therapy began. HIV can remain "hidden" in a latent (or resting) form in these cells for many years. Since these infected cells can live for many years, they are thought to be the most important barrier to HIV eradication (or "cure").

Many experts believe that one way to attack latent or "hidden" HIV is to use a drug than can "turn on" the virus and hence force HIV-1 out of resting T cells. In a recent study done in the laboratory, disulfiram proved to be among the most effective drugs currently available that can reactivate latent HIV-1,

Our primary hypothesis is that disulfiram will reduce the latent reservoir of HIV-1 in patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Theoretically, disulfiram will force HIV to replicate (grow) and thus result in the death of the infected cell. Standard antiretroviral drugs should prevent new cells from becoming infected. The end result of this process is that the total amount of HIV in the body will decline over time.

Arms:
arm 1: None

Interventions: intervention 1: Disulfiram
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Open label 500mg disulfiram per day by mouth for 14 days

Protocol document: