Commonly used antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV and hepatitis B reduce immune cells' energy production

New UCLA-led research suggests that antiretroviral drugs called TAF and TDF directly reduce energy production by mitochondria, structures inside cells that generate the power that cells use to function. Both drugs led to reduced cellular oxygen consumption rates, a measure of the ability of the mitochondria to produce energy, compared with controls. But in combination with other antiretrovirals, TAF appeared to result in a larger energy reduction than TDF did. Whether this is a cause for concern is not known at this point.