Effect of lithium on HIV-1 expression and proviral reservoir size in the CD4+ T cells of antiretroviral therapy suppressed patients

Previous in-vitro data pointed out lithium, an activator of the β-catenin signalling pathway, as a modulator of HIV-1 transcription. We assessed the effect of in-vivo administration of lithium on viral latency modulation in nine antiretroviral therapy (ART)-suppressed HIV-1-infected individuals. We found that lithium carbonate treatment was able to transiently repress HIV-1 residual expression in CD4 T cells in vivo, which led to a concomitant short-term decrease in the proviral reservoir size.