Project description:The clonal expansion of HIV-1-infected CD4+ T cells is a major barrier to cure. Using single-cell ECCITE-seq, we examined the transcriptional landscape, upstream immune regulators, HIV-1 RNA expression, and T cell clonal expansion dynamics of 215,458 CD4+ T cells (267 HIV-1 RNA+ cells and 68 expanded HIV-1 RNA+ T cell clones) from six HIV-1-infected individuals (during viremia and after suppressive antiretroviral therapy) and two uninfected individuals, in unstimulated conditions and after CMV and HIV-1 antigen stimulation. We found that despite antiretroviral therapy, antigen and TNF responses persisted and shaped T cell clonal expansion. HIV-1 resided in Th1 polarized, antigen-responding T cells expressing Bcl-2 family anti-apoptotic genes. HIV-1 RNA+ T cell clones were larger in clone size, established during viremia, persistent after viral suppression, and enriched in GZMB+ cytotoxic effector memory Th1 cells. Targeting HIV-1-infected cytotoxic CD4+ T cells and drivers of clonal expansion provides a new direction for HIV-1 eradication.
Project description:We aim to characterize HIV and HCV coinfected patient response to combined antiretroviral therapy through genome-wide expression profiling of patients' periperhal blood mononuclear cells before and after treatment initiation (baseline and 24 weeks). Individuals with frank cirrhosis were excluded from the study. We used Affymetrix PrimeView arrays to quantify baseline transcriptomic characteristics and changes in the transcriptome following treatment. Gene expression changes were analyzed based on the change in expression of each transcript per patient. Mononuclear cells were purified from peripheral blood samples of 8 patients with HIV and HCV coinfection at baseline and after 24 weeks of combined antiretroviral therapy. Genes from whole blood RNA was measured via Affymetrix PrimeView microarrays.
Project description:Tuberculosis-associated Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (TB-IRIS) is a common complication in HIV-TB co-infected patients receiving combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). While monocytes/macrophages play major roles in both HIV- and TB-infection individually, a putative contribution of monocytes to the development of TB-IRIS remains unexamined. We performed a genome-wide array analysis on MOs purified from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained before initiation of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) to verify whether the transcriptome of MOs was already significantly modulated (even before receiving cART) in HIV+/TB+ patients who later developed TB-IRIS compared to control HIV+/TB+ patients who did not develop the complication . The subjects under study included a subset of 18 TB-IRIS patients and controls matched for age, gender and CD4 count.
Project description:Analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) taken from 24 HIV-infected male participants before the start of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Results identify biomarkers for the identification of HIV-infected participants that progress to good versus poor CD4+ T cell recovery after 48 weeks of HAART.
Project description:Proteomic analysis of cytokines in unstimulated oropharyngeal secretions. Epstein-barr virus (EBV) is a type 1 carcinogen which causes many cancers in humans. Here we explored the cytokine involvement of the EBV replication process in the oropharynx. Cytokine interactomic profiles were geneerated to understand the involved signalling pathways in HIV infected group and the healthy group. Proteome profilers were used to understand the major cytokine expression levels that are related to infection and immune regulation. We analyzed unstimulated oropharyngeal samples (UOPS) from 42 healthy subjects and 72 HIV positive subjects using the R & D Proteome Profiler array panels. No techinical replicates were performed. 14 samples in HIV group without therapy (NHAART group); 58 HIV patients with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART group); 42 samples in healthy group
Project description:A paired analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated before and after antiretroviral therapy (ART) from a robust number of HIV-infected patients (N=36). Results identify a total of 4,157 DEGs following ART in HIV-infected participants and the transition from a period of active virus replication before ART to one of viral suppression
Project description:A paired analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated before and after antiretroviral therapy (ART) from a robust number of HIV-infected patients (N=36). Results identify a total of 4,157 DEGs following ART in HIV-infected participants and the transition from a period of active virus replication before ART to one of viral suppression This study evaluated PBMC gene expression in cells from 36 (4 dropped from analysis) recently HIV-infected individuals to identify differentially expressed genes following 48 weeks of ART
Project description:Understanding the complexity of the long-lived HIV reservoir during antiretroviral therapy (ART) remains a major impediment for HIV cure research. To address this, we developed single-cell viral ASAPseq to precisely define the unperturbed peripheral blood HIV-infected memory CD4+ T cell reservoir from antiretroviral treated people living with HIV (ART-PLWH) via the presence of integrated accessible proviral DNA in concert with epigenetic and cell surface protein profiling. We identified profound reservoir heterogeneity within and between ART-PLWH, characterized by novel and known surface markers within total and individual memory CD4+ T cell subsets. We further uncovered novel epigenetic profiles and transcription factor motifs enriched in HIV-infected cells that suggest infected cells with accessible provirus, irrespective of reservoir distribution, are poised for reactivation during ART treatment. Together, our findings reveal the extensive inter- and intrapersonal cellular heterogeneity of the HIV reservoir, and establish an initial multiomic atlas to develop targeted reservoir elimination strategies.
Project description:Resting CD4+ T cells that are both persistent and latently infected with HIV represent the most important challenge to HIV eradication. Estimates indicate the need for >70 years of continuous, fully suppressive, antiretroviral therapy (ART) to eliminate the HIV reservoir. Alternatively, induction of HIV from its latent state could accelerate the decline of the reservoir, thereby shortening the time to eradication. Previous attempts to reactivate latent HIV in preclinical animal models and in clinical trials have measured HIV induction in peripheral blood with minimal focus on tissue reservoirs and had limited effect. We found that activation of the non-canonical NF-B signaling pathway via AZD5582 results in induction of HIV- and SIV-RNA expression in the blood and tissues of ART-suppressed humanized mice and rhesus macaques. Analysis of resting CD4+ T cells from tissues after AZD55852 treatment revealed increased SIV-RNA in lymph nodes in macaques and robust induction of HIV in virtually all tissues analyzed in humanized mice including lymph nodes, thymus, bone marrow, liver, and lung. This promising new approach to latency reversal, in combination with the appropriate tools for systemic clearance of persistent HIV infection, greatly increases opportunities for HIV eradication.
Project description:Initiation of antiretroviral therapy during the earliest stages of HIV-1 infection may limit the seeding of a long-lasting viral reservoir, but long-term effects of early antiretroviral treatment initiation remain unknown. Here, we analyzed immunological and virological characteristics of nine patients who started antiretroviral therapy in primary HIV-1 infection and remained on suppressive treatment for >10 years; patients with similar treatment duration but initiation of therapy in chronic HIV-1 infection served as controls. We observed that independently of the timing of treatment initiation, HIV-1 DNA in CD4 T cells decayed exclusively during the initial 3-4 years of treatment; however, in patients who started antiretroviral therapy in acute infection, this decay occurred faster and was more pronounced, leading to substantially lower levels of cell-associated HIV-1 DNA after long-term treatment. Despite this smaller size, the viral CD4 T cell reservoir in persons with early treatment initiation consisted more dominantly of the long-lasting central-memory and T memory stem cells. Moreover, gene transcripts in CD4 T cells associated with the total viral CD4 T cell reservoir size frequently correlated with the relative proportion of these long-lived CD4 T cell subsets, suggesting shared gene expression signatures for maintaining HIV-1 persistence and preservation of long-lasting CD4 T cell subsets. Despite effective suppression of viral antigens for >10 years, HIV-1-specific T cell responses remained continuously detectable in both study groups. Together, these data suggest that although early HIV-1 treatment initiation, even when continued for >10 years, is unlikely to lead to viral eradication, the presence of low viral reservoirs and durable HIV-1 T cell responses may make such patients attractive candidates for future interventional studies aiming at HIV-1 eradication and cure.