What is trofile testing?
Trofile® Trofile® is a phenotypic viral RNA assay that is the only commercially available tropism assay that has been clinically validated through use in Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical studies to identify CCR5 antagonist candidates. 1-3. One such drug, maraviroc, is available for clinical use.
What is tropism testing?
Tropism testing will help your doctor find out which co-receptors the HIV in your body uses. If you have HIV that uses CCR5 co-receptors, then it can be treated with maraviroc. If your HIV uses CXCR4 co-receptors, then maraviroc or other drugs that block CCR5 will not work.
How do CCR5 antagonists work?
CCR5 co-receptor antagonists prevent HIV-1 from entering and infecting immune cells by blocking CCR5 cell-surface receptor. Small molecule antagonists of CCR5 bind to a hydrophobic pocket formed by the transmembrane helices of the CCR5 receptor.
What is a tropism assay?
Tropism assays are used to determine co-receptor usage of HIV-1 in patients who may be candidates for treatment with CCR5 antagonists. Phenotypic assays are used most often in the clinical trials of CCR5 antagonists, and are considered the “gold standard” for comparison to other methods of tropism testing.
What is viral tropism assay?
Viral tropism is measure by genetic testing of a blood sample. The most common test is called “Trofile.” The blood and virus sample is grown (amplified.) Then it is tested against cells that are known to express the CCR5 molecule or the CXCR4 molecule.
What drugs are CCR5 antagonist?
In August 2007, the US FDA approved maraviroc for use in combination with other antiretroviral agents for treatment-experienced adults infected with CCR5-tropic HIV-1 only and who have evidence of viral replication. Maraviroc prevents the virus from entering uninfected cells by blocking the CCR5 coreceptor.
What is viral tropism?
Viral tropism is the ability of a given virus to productively infect a particular cell (cellular tropism), tissue (tissue tropism) or host species (host tropism).
How do you test for CCR5?
There is a genetic test that would allow for the detection of such mutation of the CCR5. The test involves taking som blood and sending it to the lab to do the genetic test.