How interferon proteins affect primate lentiviruses in HIV research models
Official title: Effects of Interferon on primate lentiviruses
Funded at Rockefeller University · NIH-11391010 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH grant studies how natural antiviral interferon proteins influence HIV-like viruses in primate models to better understand infection and disease progression.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rockefeller University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 21, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $648,753 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI174873-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11391010 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patient participation at this stage; however, future translational work could benefit people living with HIV if findings translate into therapies.
✕Less likely to help
There is no direct patient involvement in this grant as described.
What this research studies
Researchers will look at how first-line immune proteins called type I interferons restrict lentiviruses that infect primates, using both lab-grown cells and non-human primate models. They will map which interferon-induced genes block virus entry and how different viral envelopes change this effect, aided by a CRISPR screen. The team has already created chimeric viruses that resemble HIV-1 strains found in humans to improve primate studies. The project spans in vitro experiments and in vivo work in non-human primates, with the goal of revealing new points where infections can be blocked.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding these mechanisms could guide the development of new therapies or preventive strategies against HIV-1 by targeting host factors that control viral entry.
How similar studies have gone: Past work has identified interferon-stimulated genes that affect lentivirus replication and infection, with ongoing exploration of their mechanisms.
Where this research is happening
-
Rockefeller University
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hatziioannou, Theodora — Rockefeller University
- Study coordinator: Hatziioannou, Theodora
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How cells organize into organized tissues to form organs
Researchers are studying how human-like cells in a lab can self-organize within a scaffold to form orderly tissue patterns, which could illuminate how organs such as skin and bones develop.
-
Modeling Ataxia Telangiectasia in a human stem cell model of Purkinje cells
Researchers are creating a patient-derived, human cell model of Purkinje cells to understand why this brain disease causes cerebellar degeneration in people with Ataxia Telangiectasia.
-
Centers studying how cancer spreads through the body
A multi-institutional project at Rockefeller University is exploring how nerves, blood vessels, lymphatics, immune cells, and metabolites influence the spread of cancer to help identify new ways to stop metastasis.
-
Understanding how mycobacterial transcription works to guide better TB drugs
Researchers will study how the RNA polymerase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and related bacteria start, pause, and finish copying genetic information, with the goal of informing new antibiotic strategies against TB.
-
How chromosomes stay true when cells divide in cancer research
Researchers are studying how chromosomes are accurately copied and distributed during cell division to understand and potentially prevent cancer.
-
Marmoset model of Huntington's disease shows how symptoms relate to brain and behavior
A researcher at a top university is studying how Huntington's disease affects brain signals and behavior in marmosets to better understand the human condition.
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.