Finding hidden Kaposi sarcoma targets in the body
Official title: Project 3
Funded at Lsu Health Sciences Center · NIH-11417966 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant aims to map where the Kaposi sarcoma virus hides in the bodies of people with HIV/AIDS to understand why KS can recur.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Lsu Health Sciences Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Orleans, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $91,018 |
| NIH project number | 5U54CA277846-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11417966 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with AIDS-related KS or HIV/AIDS who may harbor KSHV in various body tissues.
✕Less likely to help
Persons without HIV/AIDS or KS-related conditions likely would not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
The project uses full-body autopsies in sub-Saharan Africa to search for reservoirs of KSHV across different tissues in people who were seropositive. By locating where the virus and related transformed cells reside, researchers hope to explain KS persistence and relapse despite therapy. The work will collect and analyze tissue samples from deceased donors to identify viral hotspots and understand how HIV-1 affects KS development. Findings could guide new strategies to prevent KS recurrence and improve care for people living with HIV/AIDS. The study builds on prior discoveries that KSHV can be found in brain tissue and extends this to a comprehensive body-wide map.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: A clearer map of where KS virus hides could lead to targeted treatments and better prevention of KS recurrence in people with HIV/AIDS.
How similar studies have gone: Early work has shown KSHV can be found in brain tissue; this study expands to a full-body assessment in humans.
Where this research is happening
-
Lsu Health Sciences Center
New Orleans, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Julius, Peter Davies — Lsu Health Sciences Center
- Study coordinator: Julius, Peter Davies
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.