Immunomodulation with IL-7 and IL-15 in HIV-1 infection
Jesper Damsgaard Gunst, Nilu Goonetilleke, Thomas A. Rasmussen, Ole S. Søgaard
Abstract
Immunomodulating agents are substances that modify the host immune response in diseases such as infections, autoimmune conditions and cancers. Immunomodulators can be divided into two main groups: 1) immunostimulators that activate the immune system such as cytokines, toll-like receptor agonists and immune checkpoint blockers; and 2) immunosuppressors that dampen an overactive immune system such as corticosteroids and cytokine-blocking antibodies. In this review, we focus on the two primarily T and NK cell homeostatic cytokines: interleukin-7 (IL-7) and −15 (IL-15). These cytokines are immunostimulators which act on immune cells independently of the presence or absence of antigen. In vivo studies have shown that IL-7 administration enhance proliferation of circulating T cells whereas IL-15-agonists enhance proliferation and function of NK and CD8+ T cells. Both IL-7 and IL-15 therapies have been tested as single interventions in HIV-1 cure-related clinical trials. In this review, we explore whether IL-7 and IL-15 could be part of therapeutic approaches towards HIV-1 remission.