How HIV's Nef protein makes the virus more infectious even without SERINC
Official title: Basis of Serinc-Independent Enhancement of Infectivity by HIV-1Nef
Funded at Veterans Medical Research Fdn/san Diego · NIH-11253295 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are searching for the missing protein or pathway that lets the HIV protein Nef boost virus infectivity, with the goal of helping people living with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Medical Research Fdn/san Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, United States) |
| Project start | January 3, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $184,375 |
| NIH project number | 5R21AI189232-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11253295 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be adults living with HIV who are willing to donate blood or immune cells for laboratory research, typically near San Diego.
✕Less likely to help
People without HIV or those not able or willing to provide samples are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this laboratory-focused project.
What this research studies
This lab project looks at how the HIV protein Nef increases the ability of the virus to infect cells even when known inhibitors like SERINC proteins are not responsible. The team will use proximity-proteomics and other molecular tools in T cell lines and likely primary CD4+ T cells to find proteins or pathways that interact with Nef. The work is open-ended and exploratory, aiming to identify previously unknown factors that explain Nef's effect on viral infectivity. Because this is bench research, the project may request blood or immune-cell samples from donors rather than running a clinical treatment trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could uncover new drug targets to block Nef-driven increases in HIV infectivity and inform future therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Similar proteomics approaches have previously identified factors like SERINC5 and other Nef partners, but the SERINC-independent mechanism this project targets remains novel and unresolved.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Medical Research Fdn/san Diego
San Diego, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Guatelli, John C. — Veterans Medical Research Fdn/san Diego
- Study coordinator: Guatelli, John C.
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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.