Evaluation of the molecular determinants of reduced HIV integration in Elite Controllers.

HIV is a retrovirus that stably integrates its genetic information in the genome of the infected host cell. This step is pivotal for viral replication, and ensures the formation of a viral reservoir that will hamper the eradication of the virus. Elite controllers are a rare group of HIV-1 infected individuals (<1% of HIV infected patients) who control viral replication without the use of antiretrovirals and rarely progress to AIDS. The mechanism (s) explaining how elite controllers naturally control HIV replication are unknown and intriguing. They could provide valuable clues to guide research on vaccines and HIV eradication. Recent evidence suggests that the number of integrated viruses in white blood cells, the target cells of HIV, is reduced in HIV elite controllers. In this project we aim to explore the molecular determinants that underlie this reduced integration, by reproducing ex vivo HIV infection of T-cells from elite controllers.

Keywords:HIV, Aids, Elite controllers, integration, HIV eradication, HIV cure, latency

Disciplines:Microbiology, Systems biology, Laboratory medicine