Evaluating the potential of IL-27 as a novel therapeutic agent in HIV-1 infection

Interleukin 27 (IL-27) is an immunomodulatory cytokine with important roles in both the innate and adaptive immune systems. In the last five years, the addition of exogenous IL-27 to primary cell cultures has been demonstrated to decrease HIV-1 replication in a number of cell types including peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), CD4+ T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells. These in vitro findings suggest that IL-27 may have therapeutic value in the setting of HIV-1 infection. In this review, we describe the current knowledge of the biology of IL-27, its effects primarily on HIV-1 replication but also in other viral infections and explore its potential role as a therapeutic cytokine for the treatment of patients with HIV-1 infection.