Understanding how HIV adapts and establishes latency in the body
Official title: HIV Rev-Rev Response Element Activity Variation in Transmission and Latency
Funded at University of Virginia · NIH-11113176 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how HIV changes when it moves to new people and how it can hide in cells, focusing on a key part of the virus that helps it grow and spread, to better understand how it can be passed on and stay dormant in the body.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Virginia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charlottesville, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $492,980 |
| NIH project number | 1R56AI186633-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11113176 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include individuals living with HIV or those at high risk of HIV infection.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not infected with HIV and do not have risk factors for HIV transmission may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the mechanisms by which HIV adapts to new hosts and maintains a latent state in infected cells. It focuses on the HIV Rev-Rev Response Element (RRE) system, which is crucial for the virus's replication and transmission. By examining variations in Rev-RRE activity, the study aims to uncover how these differences affect HIV's ability to spread and establish latency. The research involves analyzing the role of Rev-RRE in sexual transmission and its contribution to latency establishment and maintenance.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved strategies for preventing HIV transmission and potentially developing a cure.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promise in understanding viral mechanisms in HIV, but this specific approach focusing on Rev-RRE variation is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jackson, Patrick Evan Hager — University of Virginia
- Study coordinator: Jackson, Patrick Evan Hager
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.