# Influence of gut virome on bacterial microbiota and vaccine responsiveness in HIV-exposed infants

> **NIH NIH F32** · SEATTLE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · 2021 · $30,995

## Abstract

Project Abstract
Infants born to HIV-infected mothers are at high risk for HIV acquisition. Additionally, HIV-exposed infants
display reduced vaccine responses, and increased disease susceptibility compared to unexposed infants. The
development of certain T cell subsets, both in the mucosa and systemically, is determined by the presence of
specific microbes in the gut and may be important in determining adaptive immunity. However, the gut
microbiota of HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) infants differs from that of HIV-unexposed (HU) infants, since
their mothers have altered gut microbiota. The gut virome also plays a central role in modulating both the
bacterial microbiota and immune response of adults, yet the association between the infant enteric virome and
maternal HIV status has not yet been explored. As the enteric virome is expanded in HIV infection, it is likely
that infants born to HIV-infected mothers inherit a wider range of viruses than unexposed infants. This study
proposes that the enteric virome is one of the factors influencing the morbidity of HIV-exposed infants, either
by directly altering mucosal immunity or by altering the composition of enteric bacterial communities, as a
consequence of bacteriophage or other viral dynamics. This proposal will utilize an already funded, ongoing
cohort to longitudinally characterize the infant fecal virome of 40 HEU and 40 HU infants, as well as the
breastmilk and fecal virome of 20 paired HIV-infected and 20 paired HIV-uninfected mothers (Aim 1). Viral
metagenome data will be integrated with bacterial community datasets and T cell cytokine responses to BCG
vaccination to identify viral and bacterial taxa correlated with BCG responses. Bacterial-phage interactions will
then be validated using co-culture experiments (Aim 2). Together, these Aims will identify mechanisms of gut
dysbiosis in HEU infants and reveal potential therapeutics to restore health to this group. Collectively, this
proposal will reveal how maternal HIV infection affects the maternal gut and breastmilk virome and how these
alterations are transmitted to and shape the enteric microbiome of associated infants.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10135670
- **Project number:** 5F32HD102290-02
- **Recipient organization:** SEATTLE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Bryan P Brown
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $30,995
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-04-01 → 2021-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10135670

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10135670, Influence of gut virome on bacterial microbiota and vaccine responsiveness in HIV-exposed infants (5F32HD102290-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10135670. Licensed CC0.

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