# Molecular profile of proviral reservoirs in HIV-infected drug users

> **NIH NIH R61** · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 2020 · $168,000

## Abstract

Abstract
The novel SARS-CoV2 Coronavirus has, within a short time, caused a worldwide pandemic of
epic proportions and unprecedented dimensions in modern times. As previously observed in the
HIV-1 epidemic, understanding the complex pathogenesis and host response of CoV2 infection
will represent the cornerstone for developing effective treatment strategies. One particularly
important aspect will be to identify subpopulations of patients with increased vulnerability to CoV2,
and to understand possible connections between CoV2 and other viral infections. Moreover, the
CoV2 pandemic occurs in the midst of the ongoing opioid epidemic in the US, and people who
use opioids are likely to have specific behavioral and immunological characteristics that may
increase susceptibility to severe CoV2 infection. In the proposed work, we will perform what we
consider the first dedicated analysis of virological and immunological characteristics of CoV2-
patients with HIV-1 co-infection, and with opioid abuse. Our work will focus on identifying
CoV2/HIV-1 co-infected patients with or without opioid abuse, using large cohorts of CoV2
patients that are currently actively enrolling in the Boston area (Specific aim 1). Using well
pedigreed samples from such patient cohorts available through a centralized biorepository, we
will conduct virological and immunological studies to define the replicative behavior of CoV2 in
such patients and characterize host immune cell perturbations and inflammatory markers, relative
to CoV2-monoinefcetd patients (Specific aim 2). Finally, we will determine how CoV2 infection
affects viral reservoir cells in HIV-1 infected patients, a question of important significance as
modeling predicts that a large proportion of all US citizens, and of all US-based HIV-1-patients,
may ultimately be exposed and infected with CoV2 (Specific aim 3). Together, these proposed
studies will address fundamental question of CoV2 pathogenesis and critically define the
understanding of CoV2 pathogenesis in HIV-1 patients.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10139380
- **Project number:** 3R61DA047034-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Mathias Lichterfeld
- **Activity code:** R61 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $168,000
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-08-15 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10139380

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10139380, Molecular profile of proviral reservoirs in HIV-infected drug users (3R61DA047034-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-01 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10139380. Licensed CC0.

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