Vanilloid receptor (VR) inhibitors for treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-mediated pain states

摘要

The invention relates to the application of Vanilloid receptor (VR) 1 inhibitors for drug development and for the treatment of HIV-mediated neuropathies and neuropathic pain states. Further, the inventor identified a novel signaling cascade connecting the HIV receptor CXCR4 to VR1. Thus, the invention provides molecular evidence that HIV-mediated pain states - initiated upon binding of the virus to CXCR4 - can be inhibited by VR1 antagonists blocking the final execution of the CXCR4NR1 pathway. In addition, the invention demonstrates that present standard therapies for HIV-mediated pain (which do not include VR1 inhibitors) can not interfere with the CXCR4/VR1 pathway thus explaining inefficient patient treatment in the clinics.