Peptide T is an HIVentry inhibitor discovered in 1986 by Candace Pert, a US neuroimmunologist. Peptide T, and its modified analog Dala1-peptide T-amide, a drug in clinical trials, is a short peptide derived from the HIV envelope protein gp120 which blocks binding and infection of viral strains which use the CCR5 receptor to infect cells. Peptide T has several positive effects related to HIV disease and Neuro-AIDS. A FDG-PET neuro-imaging study in an individual with AIDS dementia who completed a 12-wk treatment with intranasal DAPTA, showed remission in 34 out of 35brain regions after treatment. A placebo-controlled, three site, 200+ patient NIH-funded clinical trial, which focused on neurocognitive improvements, was conducted between 1990 and 1995. The results showed that DAPTA was not significantly different from placebo on the study primary end points. However, 2 of 7 domains, abstract thinking and speed of information processing, did show improvement in the DAPTA group. Furthermore, twice as many DAPTA-treated patients improved, whereas twice as many placebo patients deteriorated. A sub-group analysis showed that DAPTA had a treatment effect and improved global cognitive performance in the patients who had more severe cognitive impairment. An analysis of antiviral effects from the 1996 NIH study showed peripheral viral load was significantly reduced in the DAPTA-treated group. An eleven-person study for peptide T effects on cellular viral load showed reductions in the persistently infected monocyte reservoir to undetectable levels in most of the patients. Elimination of viral reservoirs, such as the monocytes, is an important treatment goal. , peptide T is not currently available as a treatment in any country.
Popular culture
In the 2013 biographical filmDallas Buyers Club, protagonist Ron Woodroof promotes the use of injected peptide T as a treatment for HIV/AIDS and Alzheimer's Disease and sues the FDA over their efforts to limit his ability to use peptide T, as it was an unapproved medicine. Additional information on Woodroof's court challenge to the FDA related to his obtaining access to peptide T can be found in the article by Marsha Cohen in Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly . Woodroof's challenge was in part responsible for the 1987 revisions to the FDA investigational drug regulations that expanded access to experimental drugs for patients with serious diseases with no alternative therapies.
