Identification of host factors associated with persistent transactivation of HIV

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K19117
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Virology
• Research Institution: Microbial Chemistry Research Foundation
• Principal Investigator: ISHIZAKA Aya 公益財団法人微生物化学研究会, 微生物化学研究所, 博士研究員 (70746859)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: HIV / 残存感染細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we identified prematurely terminated short HIV-1 transcripts (STs) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells as an efficient intracellular biomarker to monitor viral activation and immune status in patients with cART-mediated full viral suppression in plasma. The levels of STs strongly reflected chronic immune activation. These observations represent evidence for a relationship between viral persistence and host immune activation, which in turn results in the suboptimal increase in CD4+ cells despite suppressive antiretroviral therapy. This cell-based measurement of viral persistence contributes to an improved understanding of the dynamics of viral persistence in patients.

Free Research Field

ウイルス学