Where HIV hides in body tissues after long-term treatment
Project-003
This project looks at which body tissues and cell types still carry HIV in people on antiretroviral therapy by using banked autopsy samples from donors who died suddenly.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| 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-11327328 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This work uses tissues collected after death from people with HIV who were on ART and from uninfected controls to map where intact and active HIV persists. Researchers will examine many organs, including brain, lymph nodes, heart, liver, and spleen, using in situ hybridization and nanoString Digital Spatial Profiling to detect viral genetic material and nearby cell proteins and gene activity. By comparing tissues and cell types, the team aims to identify the specific sites and cell environments that harbor HIV despite treatment. The results are intended to point to tissue-specific targets for future cure strategies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with HIV who have been on long-term ART and could arrange postmortem tissue donation to the San Francisco POST SCD program.
Not a fit: People not on ART, those with uncontrolled HIV, or individuals unwilling or unable to provide postmortem consent are unlikely to be included or directly helped by this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could reveal where HIV reservoirs survive despite therapy and help guide targeted approaches to prevent viral rebound or achieve eradication.
How similar studies have performed: Previous postmortem and tissue-based studies have shown HIV can persist in organs, but applying high-resolution spatial transcriptomic and proteomic profiling to map intact reservoirs is a relatively novel approach.
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.