Examining LLDT-8’s Potential for Suppressing Immune Activation in SIV/HIV Infection: A Transcriptomic study in Rhesus Macaques
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection remains a global health challenge, with chronic immune activation playing a pivotal role in disease progression. While antiretroviral therapy (ART) has significantly improved the prognosis by suppressing viral replication, persistent immune activation continues to undermine immune function. LLDT-8, an optimized analog of triptolide, has emerged as a potential immunomodulatory agent, exhibiting promising results in preclinical studies. This article explores in detail the comprehensive transcriptomic analysis conducted to unravel the immunomodulatory effects of LLDT-8 in simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected rhesus macaques. The study involved a combination of LLDT-8 treatment and ART, employing flow cytometry and RNA-seq analyses to investigate the treatment effects.