aldesleukin + antiretroviral therapy

Aldesleukin + antiretroviral therapy is a combination regimen investigated for HIV infection. **Aldesleukin** is recombinant human interleukin-2 (IL-2), an immune system cytokine that stimulates proliferation and activation of lymphocytes, especially CD4+ T cells. **Antiretroviral therapy (ART)** refers to a combination of pharmaceuticals that inhibit HIV replication at various stages of its lifecycle. When combined, aldesleukin plus ART was shown in large randomized trials to increase CD4+ cell counts compared to ART alone in people with HIV. However, despite these immunologic improvements, no clinical benefit in terms of reduced opportunistic disease or mortality was demonstrated. The combination was studied in phase 3 trials (ESPRIT, SILCAAT) but is not approved for HIV, and use of IL-2 in this context has been discontinued. ART remains the core standard of care for HIV infection[3][5].

Other names

interleukin-2 + antiretroviral therapy