# Dissecting the mechanisms of HIV-1 infection and inflammatory signaling in human lymphoid tissue

> **NIH NIH R21** · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · 2021 · $254,250

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
HIV-1 infection causing an incurable disease resulting in chronic inflammation that leads to comorbidities.
Recent evidence has suggested an important role of purinergic receptors and downstream inflammasome
signaling mediators and important contributors to HIV-1 entry and in driving inflammation. Preliminary data
indicate that inhibitors of purinergic signaling reduce both HIV-1 infection and inflammatory cytokine signaling.
Our goal is to elucidate the role of HIV-1 in mediating inflammatory signaling in lymphoid tissue. This study is
the proposal of an early stage investigator physician scientist who will bring together expertise in HIV virology,
immunology, and genomics to test the following aims: 1) Differentiating the inflammatory and stromal cell types
required for HIV-associated inflammatory signaling in peripheral blood, dissociated tonsils and tonsil blocks. 2)
Differentiating patterns of infected and bystander cells through correlative imaging and transcriptomic analysis
of infected tonsil blocks. The methods proposed are novel in that they utilize a recently developed ex vivo
human tonsil infection model and a single cell imaging and gene expression platform that will allow for
understanding the inflammatory signaling that is associated with HIV-1 infection on a single cell level. The
investigators and collaborators offer complimentary expertise and the facilities at the Mount Sinai Health
System are uniquely capable of supporting these studies with core facilities, large patient cohorts, and
institutional support. The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has demonstrated commitment to the career
development of this early stage principal investigator. The goal is to develop a successful career of the PI as
an independent physician scientist in dissecting out the pathogenesis of the HIV-1 infection and downstream
signaling in HIV-1 infection with the goal of finding key therapeutic agents in the treatment of HIV-1 infection
and inflammation and in understanding and reversing HIV-1 latency in the development of a cure.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10224031
- **Project number:** 5R21AI152833-02
- **Recipient organization:** ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
- **Principal Investigator:** Talia H Swartz
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $254,250
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10224031

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10224031, Dissecting the mechanisms of HIV-1 infection and inflammatory signaling in human lymphoid tissue (5R21AI152833-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10224031. Licensed CC0.

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