How HIV's front-end RNA controls virus packaging and protein production
Official title: NMR Studies of Retroviral Nucleic Acid Binding Proteins
Funded at University of Maryland Baltimore County · NIH-11241987 · Data updated 2026-11-12
The project looks at how tiny changes at the start of HIV's genetic message make the virus act either as a packaged genome or as a message for making proteins, which could matter for people living with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore County NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 1989 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $724,698 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI150498-37 |
| Project ID | NIH-11241987 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living with HIV, especially those willing to donate blood or viral samples for laboratory research, would be most relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals seeking immediate changes to their clinical care or rapid therapeutic benefit should not expect direct personal benefit from this basic laboratory research.
What this research studies
From my point of view, researchers are focusing on the 5′-leader region of HIV RNA and how small differences in transcription start sites (one, two, or three guanosines) change the RNA's shape and function. They use structural methods such as NMR and biochemical experiments to see how the RNA folds, hides its cap, dimerizes, and exposes sites that bind the viral Gag protein. The team also studies how a small number of Gag proteins are cooperatively recruited to a defined packaging signal to start virus assembly. By identifying the molecular switches that direct RNAs to become genomes vs. messages for protein production, they hope to reveal new points where antivirals might block virus formation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new targets to block HIV from packaging its genome and forming infectious virus particles.
How similar studies have gone: Previous NMR and structural biology studies have successfully identified important RNA and protein interactions in HIV, but turning those insights into new drugs has been limited so far.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Maryland Baltimore County
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Summers, Michael Finley — University of Maryland Baltimore County
- Study coordinator: Summers, Michael Finley
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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.