Fast RNA fluorescence test to find hidden HIV in people on treatment
Official title: Sequence-based RNA Fluorescence Assay to Measure Latent HIV Reservoirs
Funded at Jan Biotech, INC. · NIH-11255357 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new lab test aims to detect and measure hidden HIV genetic material in adults whose virus is suppressed by antiretroviral therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Jan Biotech, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ithaca, United States) |
| Project start | August 7, 2020 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,000,000 |
| NIH project number | 2R44AI155075-04A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11255357 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+) living with HIV who have sustained viral suppression on antiretroviral therapy, including those treated during acute/early infection, are the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People under 21, those with detectable (unsuppressed) plasma HIV RNA, or those unwilling to provide blood samples are unlikely to benefit directly from this assay.
What this research studies
If you participate, a small blood sample would be tested with a sequence-based RNA fluorescence method that uses chemical amplification and direct detection of cell-associated HIV RNA. The test is designed for people on ART with undetectable viral loads, including those who started treatment very early after infection. Jan Biotech reports the assay can detect HIV RNA in cases where other common tests sometimes fail and that it predicted time to viral rebound in samples from an ACTG cohort. Results may help researchers better identify hidden virus and plan future cure-focused studies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this test could give people and researchers clearer information about hidden HIV levels and help choose candidates for cure trials or treatment-interruption studies.
How similar studies have gone: Common assays (QVOA, qPCR, ddPCR, IPDA, single-copy) can miss reservoir signals in some patients, and this sequence-based fluorescence approach is relatively novel but showed promising predictive results in ACTG A5345 sample analyses.
Where this research is happening
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Jan Biotech, INC.
Ithaca, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huie, Janet L — Jan Biotech, INC.
- Study coordinator: Huie, Janet L
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.