How cytomegalovirus may drive hidden HIV in infected immune cells
Role of RhCMV in shaping the SIV proviral landscape
['FUNDING_R01'] · TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA · NIH-11285360
This project looks at whether long-term cytomegalovirus (CMV) exposure causes infected immune cells to multiply and keep HIV hidden in people living with HIV on treatment.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (NEW ORLEANS, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11285360 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers will use a monkey model of HIV (SIV in rhesus macaques) to mimic how HIV hides in resting memory CD4 T cells. They will track infected CD4 T cells by sequencing proviral DNA and mapping viral integration sites to find clonally expanded infected cells. The team will compare animals with chronic CMV stimulation to controls to see if CMV-driven immune activation preferentially expands certain HIV-infected cell clones. Findings will help decide whether reducing CMV-related immune stimulation could be a path toward shrinking the long-lived HIV reservoir.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with HIV who are on stable antiretroviral therapy and who are coinfected with CMV are the group most relevant to this line of research.
Not a fit: People without HIV, people not coinfected with CMV, or those with uncontrolled HIV are unlikely to directly benefit from this preclinical animal-focused work in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to reduce the long-lived HIV reservoir and move toward strategies that lessen or eliminate the need for lifelong ART.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies show CMV chronically stimulates the memory T cell pool, but directly linking CMV-driven T cell proliferation to the maintenance of long-lived HIV proviral clones is a newer question this project addresses.
Where this research is happening
NEW ORLEANS, UNITED STATES
- TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA — NEW ORLEANS, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: MUDD, JOSEPH CHRISTOPHER — TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
- Study coordinator: MUDD, JOSEPH CHRISTOPHER
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 below.