Defective HIV Proviruses and Ongoing Immune Activation in HIV Patients
Official title: Defective HIV proviruses and Persistent Innate Immune Activation
Funded at Boston Medical Center · NIH-11377514 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant explores how defective HIV proviruses in CD4+ T cells and macrophages might keep immune cells chronically activated, potentially driving HIV-related inflammation and complications.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 22, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $818,391 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI187175-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11377514 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults living with HIV who have persistent inflammation or related comorbidities and from whom immune cells can be studied.
✕Less likely to help
If you do not have HIV or have no inflammatory complications, you would not directly benefit.
What this research studies
From a patient’s perspective, researchers will study HIV-infected immune cells to understand why inflammation continues even when the virus seems quiet. The project uses patient-derived cells to look at abnormal HIV RNAs and how they might keep innate immune signals turned on. It also compares HIV-1 and HIV-2 to see if one leads to more immune activation, and examines how DNA damage responses could create these defective proviruses. Results could point to new ways to reduce chronic inflammation in people living with HIV. The work is aimed at translating basic biology into strategies that improve long-term health for patients with HIV.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to new approaches to reduce chronic inflammation and related complications in people living with HIV.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows defective proviruses can be transcriptionally active and linked to immune activation, but this project seeks to connect that activity to sustained inflammation.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Henderson, Andrew J — Boston Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Henderson, Andrew J
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.