Precision immune strategies to control HIV in babies and children
Official title: Pioneering Precision Medicine Approaches for Immune Control of Pediatric HIV-1 Infection
Funded at Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health · NIH-11178668 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Trying immune-based treatments in infants, children, and teens with HIV to help their immune systems control the virus and possibly reduce lifelong medicine needs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 24, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $213,939 |
| NIH project number | 5P01HD107670-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178668 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and teenagers living with HIV—especially those who began ART soon after infection—are the most likely candidates for participation.
✕Less likely to help
People without HIV, adults who did not start ART early, or patients with medical reasons that prevent receiving experimental immune treatments are unlikely to benefit from this project.
What this research studies
This project studies infants, children and teenagers with HIV to learn how the virus hides and how their immune systems respond, especially when antiretroviral therapy (ART) was started early. Researchers will map where intact virus copies sit in chromosomes and compare those patterns to rare people who naturally control HIV. The team plans to test immune-boosting approaches such as therapeutic vaccines and will collect blood and other samples over time to track the viral reservoir and immune changes. The overall aim is to find ways to push the immune system to remove or silence the most dangerous virus copies so long-term drug use might be reduced.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help children with HIV better control the virus and move toward reducing or stopping lifelong antiretroviral therapy.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown early ART and rare 'elite controllers' can limit viral reservoirs, but immune-based cures and therapeutic vaccines for children remain largely experimental.
Where this research is happening
-
Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lichterfeld, Mathias — Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health
- Study coordinator: Lichterfeld, Mathias
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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BEAT-HIV: a collaborative effort to cure HIV with immunotherapy
A multi-institution study is testing a combination immunotherapy approach to achieve long-term HIV remission or cure for people on ART.
-
Phosphatidylserine-targeting antibodies and T cell function in HIV-1 infection
This NIH grant will explore how antibodies that target phosphatidylserine affect immune cells in people living with HIV on ART.
-
Ribosomal frameshifting in HIV-1 infection and its effects on inflammation and brain health
A study at the University of Rochester will explore how HIV-1 may change human cell machinery to boost its own replication and cause inflammation and brain-related problems.
-
Targeting NLRP3 inflammasome to protect HIV patients from stroke
A small NIH grant will explore whether HIV infection makes stroke worse and whether blocking a brain inflammation pathway (NLRP3) could protect brain tissue.
-
Reprogramming tissue immune cells (macrophages) to target hidden HIV
Trying small drug molecules to reprogram tissue immune cells so infected cells die and hidden HIV is reduced in people living with HIV.
-
EHD4 protein and HIV-1 infection: a new potential antiviral target
A study to understand how the human protein EHD4 affects HIV-1 infection and whether it could be targeted to develop better antiviral therapies.
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.