Legacy of a magic gene-CCR5-∆32 : From discovery to clinical benefit in a generation

The discovery of the 32-bp deletion allele of the chemokine receptor gene CCR5 showed that homozygous carriers display near-complete resistance to HIV infection, irrespective of exposure. Algorithms of molecular evolutionary theory suggested that the CCR5-∆32 mutation occurred but once in the last millennium and rose by strong selective pressure relatively recently to a ~10% allele frequency in Europeans. Several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that CCR5-∆32 was selected due to its protective influence to resist Yersinia pestis, the agent of the Black Death/bubonic plague of the 14th century. Powerful anti-AIDS entry inhibitors targeting CCR5 were developed as a treatment for HIV patients, particularly those whose systems had developed resistance to powerful anti-retroviral therapies. Homozygous CCR5-∆32/∆32 stem cell transplant donors were used to produce HIV-cleared AIDS patients in at least five "cures" of HIV infection. CCR5 has also been implicated in regulating infection with Staphylococcus aureus, in recovery from stroke, and in ablation of the fatal graft versus host disease (GVHD) in cancer transplant patients. While homozygous CCR5-∆32/32 carriers block HIV infection, alternatively they display an increased risk for encephalomyelitis and death when infected with the West Nile virus.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2024

Erschienen:

2024

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:121

Enthalten in:

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America - 121(2024), 12 vom: 19. März, Seite e2321907121

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

OBrien, Stephen J [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

AIDS
CCR5
CCR5 protein, human
Genetic epidemiology
Journal Article
Natural histories
Receptors, CCR5

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 11.03.2024

Date Revised 27.03.2024

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1073/pnas.2321907121

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM369472314