Anti-HIV agents. Can valproic acid help flush HIV from hiding?

Researchers in Dallas, Texas, conducted an HIV eradication study and recently published an account of their work. Between 2002 and 2005, four PHAs whose viral load was very low (less than 50 copies) for several years, were enrolled in a study to try to reduce the level of HIV infection of their cells. In addition to their treatment regimens, all participants also received T-20 (enfuvirtide, Fuzeon) and the anti-seizure drug valproic acid. This last medication appears to help release HIV from resting T cells. After three months, researchers found that the level of HIV in resting cells fell significantly in three of the four PHAs. This is the first time that any therapy has appeared to reduce the body’s reservoir of HIV. The news of this development raised hopes that that a route to flushing HIV out of the body may be a possibility if the Dallas protocol were applied for several consecutive years.