Treatment of HIV

Abstract

A method for increasing immune responses of a human patient infected with HIV, involving contacting the T-cells, in vitro or in vivo, with an organic compound at a concentration effective to cause T-cell proliferation, but below an amount that causes detectable cytotoxicity.

1 . A method for treating the T-cells of a human subject infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, comprising 
 contacting said T-cells with a molecule that inhibits CD26 and that stimulates immune function of said T-cells in an amount effective to stimulate immune function of the T-cells, said amount being below a concentration which causes detectable cytotoxicity of said T-cells.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said molecule stimulates proliferation of said T-cells at said effective concentration.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the T-cells are contacted in vitro and then are administered to the subject.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the T-cells are contacted in vivo.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the effective amount is below 10 −8 M.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the effective amount is a blood concentration below 10 −9 M.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the effective amount is between 10 −10  and 10 −16 M.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the effective amount is a blood concentration between 10 −10  and 10 −16 M.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the molecule is administered in conjunction with a different therapeutic agent that increases the CD4 +  count of HIV-infected patients.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the human subject's T-cells are unable, prior to treatment with said molecule, to respond normally to T-cell proliferation-inducing stimuli.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the molecule is administered in conjunction with an antigen.  
     
     
         12 . The method of claims  1 - 11 , wherein the molecule mimics the site of a substrate recognized by a post-prolyl cleaving enzyme and includes a reactive group that binds covalently with a function group in a reactive center of the post-prolyl cleaving portion of CD26.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the molecule has the formula:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein X is a targeting moiety that mimics the site of a substrate recognized and cleaved by CD26.