Mapping HIV-like SIV Reservoirs in the Brain with Advanced PET Imaging
Official title: Identification of SIV replication and reservoirs in the CNS
Funded at University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr · NIH-11629980 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project develops brain-targeted imaging probes to map SIV reservoirs in the central nervous system of infected macaques, aiming to improve our understanding of how HIV-like viruses hide in the brain.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2020 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $934,749 |
| NIH project number | 7R01MH125395-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11629980 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals (via future translation) with HIV/AIDS who could benefit from improved brain-targeted reservoir imaging and therapies; currently an animal model study using SIV.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient benefit is not immediate, as this is an animal model study focusing on preclinical imaging methods.
What this research studies
People living with HIV rely on ART, but the brain can harbor hidden viral reservoirs. This study will optimize PET imaging probes that cross the blood-brain barrier to visualize cells expressing SIV env in the brain of pigtailed macaques, enabling non-invasive tracking of viral signals. Using immunoPET/CT, light-sheet, and confocal imaging, the team will map where SIV persists during acute infection and how signals evolve after starting ART. The research also includes sorting infected cells to understand which cell types remain active in early chronic CNS infection. Findings could inform strategies to target viral reservoirs in the brain for better durably suppressive therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of brain viral reservoirs could guide future treatments aimed at achieving true viral control in people living with HIV.
How similar studies have gone: Prior neuroHIV research has shown that CNS reservoirs exist and can be studied with advanced imaging; this project builds on established imaging approaches in a relevant animal model.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Villinger, Francois J — University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
- Study coordinator: Villinger, Francois J
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.