The persistence of latent HIV-infected cellular reservoirs represents the major hurdle to virus eradication in patients treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy. The molecular mechanisms by which integrated HIV-1 is repressed during latency have been partially identified in different models of HIV-1 latency, and the involvement of multiple processes has been demonstrated. Therefore, several molecular targets amenable to pharmacological manipulation have emerged to antagonize HIV-1 latency in the viral reservoirs. In this context, it has been suggested that successful depletion of such latent reservoirs will require a combination of therapeutic agents that can specifically and efficiently act on cells harbouring latent HIV-1 provirus. HIV-1 reactivation therapy is a potential therapeutic option to purge the viral reservoirs. The goal of this therapy is to enhance the transcriptional activity of the latent HIV-1 without inducing the polyclonal activation of non-infected cells. In this sense natural or semisynthetic protein kinase C agonists lacking tumour-promoter activities clearly fulfil this criterion, thereby opening new research avenues to purge HIV-1 reservoirs. In this review article, we have succinctly summarized the known effects of "natural products", focusing on phorboids like prostratin and ingenols, macrolides like bryostatin 1, and macrocyclic polyesters like ingols and jatrophanes. A comprehensive view on the molecular mechanisms underlying the principle of HIV-1 reactivation from latency is provided, discussing the combination of "natural products" with other experimental or conventional therapeutics.

Drug resistance mutations in HIV-2 are selected at the same positions as in HIV-1, although with different frequency. Polymorphisms in the RT and PR associated with drug resistance in HIV-1 as compensatory changes are common in untreated HIV-2 subjects. These findings highlight the need for specific guidelines for interpreting genotypic resistance patterns in HIV-2 infection.

BackgroundSex differences in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) suggest a protective role for estrogen (E2); however, mechanistic studies in animal models have produced mixed results. Reports using cell lines have investigated molecular interactions between transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-β1) and estrogen receptor (ESR) pathways in breast, prostate, and skin cells, but no such interactions have been described in human lung cells. To address this gap in the literature, we investigated a role for E2 in modulating TGF-β1-induced signaling mechanisms and identified novel pathways impacted by estrogen in bronchial epithelial cells.MethodsWe investigated a role for E2 in modulating TGF-β1-induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2Bs) and characterized the effect of TGF-β1 on ESR mRNA and protein expression in BEAS-2Bs. We also quantified mRNA expression of ESRs in lung tissue from individuals with IPF and identified potential downstream targets of E2 signaling in BEAS-2Bs using RNA-Seq and gene set enrichment analysis.ResultsE2 negligibly modulated TGF-β1-induced EMT; however, we report the novel observation that TGF-β1 repressed ESR expression, most notably estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1). Results of the RNA-Seq analysis showed that TGF-β1 and E2 inversely modulated the expression of several genes involved in processes such as extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover, airway smooth muscle cell contraction, and calcium flux regulation. We also report that E2 specifically modulated the expression of genes involved in chromatin remodeling pathways and that this regulation was absent in the presence of TGF-β1.ConclusionsCollectively, these results suggest that E2 influences unexplored pathways that may be relevant to pulmonary disease and highlights potential roles for E2 in the lung that may contribute to sex-specific differences.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12931-018-0861-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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