Immunological and Virological Effects of Novel Prakasine Nanomedicine in HIV-Infected Patients in South India: A Preliminary Study

Objectives: While HIV remains incurable, one method of eliminating latent virus is, sensing dormant HIV then target the infected cells. The Cytotoxic T-Lymphocytes (CTL) play a major role in it. Several nanoparticles were reported to induce CTL, renewal of stem cells, immune cells and cytokines as well. It is hypothesised, if CTL is stimulated with nanoparticles HIV reservoir would be eradicated. To test this hypothesis this study was performed. This is the modification of 500 years old traditional medicine. Methods: Prakasine (PRK-NP) is the 10 - 50 nm size, spherical shape, nanoparticle. Consenting ART-naive (n=14), male and female, aged between 25 - 50 years, with weight loss about average 5 kgs, lethargic, HIV RNA ≤ 100000 copies/ml, CD4~500 cells /µl HIV patients and healthy individuals (n=4) were enrolled in this study and divided as positive control (n=4), treatment group (n=10) and negative control (n=4). The treatment group only administered 1gram of PRK-NP thrice daily for three years in Naval AIDS Research centre, Namakkal. Body weight (BW), viral load (VL), HIV1 proviral DNA, CD4, CD8, complete blood cell (CBC), liver function tests (LFT), kidney function tests (KFT) and physical neurological examination were analysed once in three months. Wald chi-square test was performed for statistical analysis. Results: In all patients in treatment group (n=10) clinical symptoms disappeared. The mean BW gain about 10 kgs, mean rise of CD4 and CD8 are 296 and 225 respectively (p=0.0001, Wald chi-square test) show that the PRK-NP has induced immune cells growth in treatment group. The VL came to Less than Detectable (LDL) level, but HIV-1 proviral DNA detected in five patients and in another five patients, the Proviral DNA not detected. Whereas in positive control VL raised from 27250 to 181500, CD4 decreased from 827 to 402 and CD8 reduced from 750 to 467, the Proviral DNA is detected in all the times. In negative control, all the time, the VL is LDL, proviral DNA is not detected and there are no significant changes in CD4 and CD8. In all patients in treatment group and in both positive and negative control, CBC, LFT, KFT and physical neurological examination arenormal. Discussion: PRK-NP reveals no side-effects and possesses therapeutic efficacy.