Where HIV hides during treatment

Core-001

NIH-funded research University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11327326

This project uses advanced lab and tissue methods on samples from people living with HIV to find and map hidden HIV that can restart infection while on treatment.

Quick facts

Grant typeP01 program project
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of California, San Francisco NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (San Francisco, United States)
Project IDNIH-11327326 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

As a person living with HIV, this research would use blood and tissue samples to locate the active parts of the HIV reservoir that can cause the virus to come back if treatment stops. Researchers will apply high-resolution lab tools (like single-cell sequencing, intact virus and RNA tests, CyTOF, and digital spatial profiling) to see which cells and body sites hold rebound-capable virus. Large, linked datasets will be analyzed with specialized bioinformatics to combine protein, RNA, and DNA information from those samples. The goal is to better understand when the reservoir is small enough that stopping antiretroviral therapy might be safe in the future.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are people living with HIV who are on suppressive ART and are willing to provide blood and tissue samples for research and clinic visits at the study site.

Not a fit: People without HIV, those not on ART, or anyone seeking immediate changes to their treatment are unlikely to benefit directly from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors know when a person's HIV reservoir is low enough to consider safely pausing antiretroviral therapy.

How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have measured parts of the HIV reservoir, but combining multiple high-resolution technologies across tissues is a novel approach that has not yet proven to enable safe ART interruption.

Where this research is happening

San Francisco, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome VirusAcquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.