zidovudine + T lymphocyte transfer + aldesleukin

This experimental combination therapy was developed by Glaxo Wellcome to treat HIV infection and AIDS. It involves the administration of zidovudine (AZT), a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, alongside the adoptive transfer of syngeneic or allogeneic T lymphocytes and the administration of aldesleukin (Interleukin-2 or IL-2). The goal of this therapeutic strategy was to reconstitute the immune system of HIV-infected patients by providing healthy T cells while simultaneously suppressing viral replication with zidovudine and promoting the survival and expansion of the transferred T cells with IL-2. This protocol was primarily evaluated in Phase I/II pilot trials during the early 1990s as a potential method for immune restoration before the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

Brand names

RetrovirProleukin

Other names

AZT + T-cell transfer + IL-2Adoptive T-cell immunotherapySyngeneic T lymphocyte transfer