Developing Nef-Inhibiting Drugs to Help Clear HIV-1 Infection
Official title: Developing Cyclopeptide Nef Inhibitors to Facilitate HIV-1 Eradication
Funded at Florida State University · NIH-11397277 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new drug approach aims to block the HIV-1 Nef protein to help the immune system recognize and kill infected cells, with the goal of reducing viral reservoirs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Florida State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tallahassee, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $635,547 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI172547-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11397277 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people living with HIV-1 who have latent viral reservoirs and may benefit from therapies that enable immune clearance of infected cells.
✕Less likely to help
People without HIV-1 infection or whose disease is not driven by Nef-mediated immune evasion may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on creating cyclopeptide inhibitors that block HIV-1 Nef, potentially restoring immune system functions like ADCC and CTL killing of infected cells. The work builds on structural insights to design compounds that disrupt Nef’s ability to downregulate CD4 and MHC-I on infected cells. Researchers will explore how these inhibitors could enhance the body's natural defenses against HIV-1 when latency is reversed. The study is conducted at Florida State University and involves a translational angle toward therapies that could complement existing antiretrovirals.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to drugs that make HIV-infected cells more visible to the immune system, aiding efforts toward viral eradication.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown that targeting viral immune-evasion proteins can enhance immune clearance in some models, but human-specific Nef inhibitors are still under development.
Where this research is happening
-
Florida State University
Tallahassee, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jia, Xiaofei — Florida State University
- Study coordinator: Jia, Xiaofei
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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.