Targeting hidden HIV-producing cells to reduce chronic inflammation
Understanding and targeting the HIV-expressing reservoir to reduce immune activation
This project looks for and aims to target the small number of HIV-infected cells that keep causing inflammation in people living with HIV who are on suppressive antiretroviral therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11300107 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be asked to provide stored and new blood samples and possibly small gut tissue samples if you are a person living with HIV on ART. Researchers will measure very low levels of HIV RNA, different kinds of viral transcripts, and p24 protein in blood and gut and compare those findings to many inflammation-related proteins in your blood. They will also study which specific infected cells are making viral products and what cellular factors cause those cells to turn on. The team hopes to identify targets that could be treated to lower long-term inflammation and related health problems in people on ART.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people living with HIV who have an undetectable or suppressed viral load on stable ART and are willing to give blood samples and possibly undergo gut biopsy procedures.
Not a fit: People not on antiretroviral therapy, with uncontrolled viremia, or unwilling to provide samples or undergo gut biopsy are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to ways to lower chronic inflammation and reduce long-term non-AIDS illnesses in people living with HIV on ART.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have found persistent low-level HIV and links between residual virus and inflammation, but directly targeting the subset of HIV-expressing reservoir cells in ART-suppressed people is still a novel and early-stage area.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yukl, Steven a — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Yukl, Steven a
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 below.