INHIBITION OF HIV-1 REPLICATION BY DAUNORUBICIN

Members of the anthracycline family of drugs such as daunorubicin (DNR ) are currently being employed in cancer therapy, treatment of Kaposi' s sarcoma and lymphomas in HIV-1 infected patients. These drugs may ha ve an antiviral activity against HIV-1. Experiments conducted on U937 (a promonocytic cell line), peripheral blood monocytes (without T cell s) and infected with HIV-1 showed anti-viral activity at nanogram/ml c oncentrations, without affecting cell proliferation and cell viability . Treatment of Hut 78 cells (a T cell line) with DNR was not as effect ive in inhibiting HIV-1 replication when compared to the anti-HIV acti vity in cells of the monocyte lineage.