Short-term Disulfiram Administration to Accelerate the Decay of the HIV Reservoir in Antiretroviral-treated HIV Infected Individuals

This study is using a new approach to try and force HIV out of its protected cellular
reservoirs.

Although current therapies are effective at "killing" new viruses that are produced, they
are unable to access the virus in cells which were infected before antiretroviral therapy
began. HIV can remain "hidden" in a latent (or resting) form in these cells for many years.
Since these infected cells can live for many years, they are thought to be the most
important barrier to HIV eradication (or "cure").

Many experts believe that one way to attack latent or "hidden" HIV is to use a drug than can
"turn on" the virus and hence force HIV-1 out of resting T cells. In a recent study done in
the laboratory, disulfiram proved to be among the most effective drugs currently available
that can reactivate latent HIV-1,

Our primary hypothesis is that disulfiram will reduce the latent reservoir of HIV-1 in
patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Theoretically, disulfiram will
force HIV to replicate (grow) and thus result in the death of the infected cell. Standard
antiretroviral drugs should prevent new cells from becoming infected. The end result of
this process is that the total amount of HIV in the body will decline over time.