Tomáš Cihlář: UCT Prague graduate plays key role in preventing HIV
Not long ago, press around the world reported a story that attracted substantial attention: the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved a new drug for preventing HIV, which represented a major step forward in the fight against this disease. The researcher behind this groundbreaking drug: Czech scientist Prof. Tomáš Cihlář, who works at Gilead Sciences. Few people realize that this world-renowned virologist and biochemist is a UCT Prague graduate. It was here at UCT Prague that he was received his early training that enabled him to pursue an international career and to contribute to research that affects the lives of millions of people around the globe today. In this short interview, Cihlář recalls his UCT Prague student days, how he coped with difficult moments in the development of the new drug, and what advice he would give to current students.
What influence did UCT Prague have on your career in virology?
In the second half of the 1980s, I studied yeast chemistry and bioengineering at UCT Prague. That was my first serious encounter with microorganisms, and even though viruses were not a core part of my studies, they were still relatively similar to bacteria and yeast. Equally important on my path to researching and developing in the field of virostatics were UCT Prague’s solid foundations in organic chemistry and biochemistry. In pharmaceutical research, one has to combine all such fields and at least understand them a little.
It’s been a long journey since you graduated from UCT Prague. What advice would you give students about your professional journey?
Do what you enjoy but always ask yourself what your work’s good for and how it can benefit people and society and move humanity forward.
The result of your work is groundbreaking and affects a large number of lives. Did you ever have periods of doubt while you were developing Lenacapavir? What motivated you the most not to give up?
During the ten years that ultimately led our team to the discovery of lenacapavir, I had only one serious doubt. It was when, after the first four years of work on the project, we found ourselves at a dead end and for a while we didn’t know what to do next. But all of a sudden, new possibilities emerged. For the next six years, it was a winding road, but we had a clear path forward and our research progress was obvious. Overall, when something is not going well, it’s good to share that uncertainty with someone. Our work was and is always a team effort, and that helps a lot, because not everyone has doubts at the same stage and people support each other. In the end, someone in a team usually comes up with some solution and everyone can move forward.
What do you think is the future of viral medicine? Are we on the path towards a complete cure for HIV?
The development of new drugs for the prevention and treatment of viral diseases will be important as long as humanity is plagued by viruses, ranging from the common cold to Ebola (which has an eighty percent mortality rate) to any virus in between. With the extensive interconnection of our world, the growing anti-vaccination movement, global warming, and fundamental changes to ecosystems, viruses will continue to be transmitted and evolve. Due to their imprecise but very rapid ability to replicate, the evolution of viruses takes place over a matter of days or weeks, so they can literally change before our eyes and we will have to be constantly prepared for this. When it comes to a complete cure for HIV, the important thing is that we have embarked on this journey and that we believe that it makes sense to continue pursuing it. But when and whether we will even reach this goal, we do not yet know. It is a long race, and the goal is still out there waiting, beyond the horizon.