Deep Mutational Scanning of HIV-1 Capsid to Understand Fitness and Lenacapavir Resistance
Official title: A Deep Mutational Scanning Platform to Map the Landscape of HIV-1 Capsid Fitness and Resistance to Lenacapavir
Funded at University of Iowa · NIH-11470483 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new approach will map how every possible change in the HIV-1 capsid protein affects the virus’s fitness and resistance to the drug lenacapavir.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Iowa NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Iowa City, United States) |
| Project start | July 6, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $233,250 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AI203552-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11470483 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This research could inform future treatments for people with HIV, particularly those receiving lenacapavir or similar capsid-targeting drugs.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals or those not considering capsid-targeted therapies are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
Researchers will build a high-throughput platform that tests all amino-acid changes in the HIV-1 capsid to see how they alter viral fitness and resistance to lenacapavir. They will start with a single-site version to examine each possible amino acid at every position, then expand to assess combinations using a replication-defective virus system for safety. The project will optimize measurement accuracy, test reproducibility across three biological replicates per site, and compare results across different cell types. The goal is to reveal the mutation patterns that drive resistance and inform future drug design and treatment strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help anticipate resistance pathways and guide the development of more durable HIV therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous deep mutational scanning efforts have shown how mutations influence viral fitness, but this project applies the approach to HIV-1 capsid and lenacapavir resistance in a novel, replication-competent-to-defective system.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Iowa
Iowa City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Haim, Hillel — University of Iowa
- Study coordinator: Haim, Hillel
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.