Non-coding RNAs that help the body control HIV
Official title: Role of cellular long non-coding RNAs in HIV replication and disease outcome
Funded at Texas Biomedical Research Institute · NIH-11140462 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether certain long non-coding RNAs help some people naturally keep HIV under control by studying blood samples from people with and without HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas Biomedical Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Antonio, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $495,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI157850-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11140462 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants include people living with HIV—especially elite controllers who naturally suppress the virus—people on ART, and healthy volunteers for comparison.
✕Less likely to help
People expecting an immediate treatment or cure are unlikely to receive direct clinical benefit from this laboratory-focused research.
What this research studies
Researchers will compare blood cells from people who naturally suppress HIV without treatment (elite controllers), people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy, and uninfected volunteers to find long non-coding RNAs linked to viral control. Identified RNAs will be switched off in lab-grown CD4+ T cells using CRISPR/CasRx gene-silencing tools to see how that changes HIV replication and persistence. The team will map which lncRNAs affect immune cell behavior and viral hiding, and connect these findings to patient samples and outcomes. Results aim to reveal molecular networks that let some people control HIV on their own.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to new molecular targets for therapies that help people suppress or eliminate HIV without continuous drug therapy.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have linked some lncRNAs to immune responses and HIV, but using CRISPR/CasRx to silence host lncRNAs for HIV control is a novel and exploratory approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Texas Biomedical Research Institute
San Antonio, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kulkarni, Smita — Texas Biomedical Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Kulkarni, Smita
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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.