How HIV puts its genetic code into cells over time
Official title: Spatiotemporal Staging of the HIV-1 Preintegration complex
Funded at Meharry Medical College · NIH-11334259 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are mapping the step-by-step process HIV uses to insert its genetic material into human cells to help guide better medicines for people living with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Meharry Medical College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | May 20, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $684,605 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI170228-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11334259 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living with HIV who are willing to donate blood or other samples or participate in laboratory-linked studies at the research site may be eligible to take part.
✕Less likely to help
People without HIV or those seeking immediate changes to their own treatment are unlikely to gain direct clinical benefit from this basic research.
What this research studies
This work will follow the HIV preintegration complex — the viral and host proteins that carry viral DNA into the nucleus — and track how it forms and changes over time. Scientists will use infected cells, biochemical assays, and imaging to identify the timing and components needed for successful integration. They will test how current integrase-targeting drugs affect these steps and look for new molecular sites that drugs could target. The goal is to uncover weak points in the virus's insertion process that can be used to design improved therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new or better integrase-targeting drugs with fewer side effects and less resistance.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies of the preintegration complex helped develop today's integrase drugs, but this more detailed spatiotemporal mapping is relatively novel and may reveal new targets.
Where this research is happening
-
Meharry Medical College
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dash, Chandravanu — Meharry Medical College
- Study coordinator: Dash, Chandravanu
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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.