Immunomodulatory Effects of Non-Thermal Plasma in a Model for Latent HIV-1 Infection: Implications for an HIV-1-Specific Immunotherapy

Abstract

In people living with HIV-1 (PLWH), antiretroviral therapy (ART) eventually becomes necessary to suppress the emergence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication from latent reservoirs because HIV-1-specific immune responses in PLWH are suboptimal. Immunotherapies that enhance anti-HIV-1 immune responses for better control of virus reemergence from latent reservoirs are postulated to offer ART-free control of HIV-1. Toward the goal of developing an HIV-1-specific immunotherapy based on non-thermal plasma (NTP), the early immunological responses to NTP-exposed latently infected T lymphocytes were examined. Application of NTP to the J-Lat T-lymphocyte cell line (clones 10.6 and 15.4) stimulated monocyte recruitment and macrophage maturation, which are key steps in initiation of an immune response. In contrast, CD8+ T lymphocytes in a mixed lymphocyte reaction assay were not stimulated by the presence of NTP-exposed J-Lat cells. Furthermore, co-culture of NTP-exposed J-Lat cells with mature phagocytes did not modulate their antigen presentation to primary CD8+ T lymphocytes (cross-presentation). However, reactivation from latency was stimulated in a clone-specific manner by NTP. Overall, these studies, which demonstrated that ex vivo application of NTP to latently infected lymphocytes can stimulate key immune cell responses, advance the development of an NTP-based immunotherapy that will provide ART-free control of HIV-1 reactivation in PLWH.

Recent Progress in Applications of Atmospheric Pressure Plasma for Water Organic Contaminants’ Degradation

“…The study demonstrated that pre-treating MDM with plasma decreased viral reverse transcriptase activity by more than two-thirds, and inhibited the other steps necessary for a successful virus infection (i.e., by preventing virus-cell fusion, inhibiting viral reverse transcription, and impeding viral integration), without having any cytotoxic effects on the macrophages. The possible immunomodulatory mechanisms of plasma that may be used to induce antiretroviral therapy-free control of HIV-1 recrudescent infection have been reported for the first time by Mohamed et al [148]. The fact that plasma can be employed to improve latently infected cells' capacity to trigger an immunological response to HIV-1 serves as the foundation for the authors' suggested immuno- Furthermore, treatment using plasma has been employed to combat three significant animal pathogens: avian influenza virus (AIV), Newcastle disease virus (NDV), and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSv).…”