Study of the capacity of expression and integrity of HIV-1 reservoir after stimulus in cell culture

• Grant number: 17/20931-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2018
• End date: January 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Biology and Physiology of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Mário Ramos Janini
• Grantee: Mariana Mendes Justiça
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Despite tremendous efforts to control HIV-1 epidemic, 2.1 million new cases reported between 2010 and 2015 (according to UNAIDS), demonstrated that we are still far from eliminating HIV-1 infection. Understanding the mechanims of viral persistence are of prime importance to anticipate results related to a possible cure. HIV-1 persists in latent reservoir, particularly in memory CD4+ T-cells. This reservoir is the major barrier to viral eradication. The latent reservoir harbors proviruses with intact complete genome (approximately 10kb) as well as defective genomes. Majority of the proviruses are defective and considered clinically irrelevant. However, recent reports have demonstrated that these defective proviruses can express and generate defective viral particles. Also, it is possible that multiple infection of a cell with defective genomes might complement each other and result in the generation of infectious viral particles. The mechanisms underlying viral complementation are poorly understood. Here we hypothesize to understand the mechanisms of viral complementation that how the defective proviruses are able to synthesize infectious viral particles. (AU)