Immune Checkpoint Drug Goes Viral: Developing New Treatment Paradigm for Chronic Viral Infection

During chronic viral infection, antigen-specific T cells are functionally exhausted, characterized by over expression of multiple co-inhibitory molecules. Recently advances in immune-oncology, experimental and early clinical virology studies have demonstrated sound rationale and early promise of breaking virus-mediated immune tolerance by using immune checkpoint blockage antibodies against CTLA4, PD-1, and PD-L1. If safety concern is appropriately addressed, this novel therapeutic approach may deliver suppression of viral replication and reduction in latency reservoirs, resulting in functional cure for HIV infection and clinical cure for chronic HBV infection.