# Core E:  Viral Pathogenesis & Persistence

> **NIH NIH P30** · CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $263,707

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT –VIRAL PATHOGENESIS & PERSISTENCE CORE E
Viral Pathogenesis & Persistence Core E supports the needs of CFAR investigators and their innovative
projects, while maintaining strong capacities to assist researchers with more traditional basic and translational
virology research. The Core leverages the combined strength of virologists from both Case and Pitt to facilitate
research on HIV-1 pathogenesis and persistence by RUSTBELT CFAR investigators. Core E provides
investigators with innovative services to measure HIV-1 persistence with assays that identify and quantify latent,
expressed, and inducible HIV-1, paired with pioneering ex vivo methods to examine the efficacy of novel Latency
Reversal Agents (LRA) and other curative strategies in fully autologous systems, making deeper characterization
of HIV-1 reservoir dynamics and clonality widely available. Case and Pitt also have complementary systems to
quantify HIV-1 persistence, having originally pioneered ultrasensitive single copy quantitative PCR (qPCR)
assays targeting HIV-1 gag/pol and established novel techniques to measure HIV-1 env RNA transcripts by
induced transcription–based sequencing. These methods have been continually refined and expanded to now
quantify intact vs. defective proviral DNA and automated for sensitive detection of HIV-1 RNA in plasma or culture
supernatants. Core E also provides advanced viral outgrowth assays to assess inducible, infectious HIV-1 in
new ways, such as using a fully autologous system whose performance characteristics meet or exceed the gold
standard in the field. Advances in automation have also increased the throughput, consistency, and quality of
near full-length HIV-1 sequencing, while new technologies have enabled integration site analysis from the same
sample at a single cell level. Core E also provides advanced imaging platforms to study HIV-1 infection at single
virion resolution, including real-time live cell imaging. The focus of Core E on cutting edge virology is designed
to complement our second laboratory core, Core F (Systems Biology & Biostatistics), which focuses on the
host through offerings in single host cell genomics and immunology. The combination of the transcriptomic and
proteomic capabilities of Core F with the validated HIV latency and reversal models made available by Core E
opens the door to applying these detailed analytical techniques to cutting edge studies of basic virology,
prevention, treatment, and cure research. Core E will also support HIV prevention initiatives in coordination with
the Clinical Sciences Core D, and the EHE SWG2. The Core will continue to work closely with Uganda Core
C, which is now one of two national sites for HIV drug resistance testing in Uganda, to transfer advanced
technology to our partner organizations in Kampala, Uganda, and enhance the ability of Ugandan investigators
to conduct informative virological studies including Cure research. Finally, and most importantly, Co...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10457726
- **Project number:** 2P30AI036219-26A1
- **Recipient organization:** CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** John Christian Tilton
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $263,707
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1997-04-01 → 2027-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10457726

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10457726, Core E:  Viral Pathogenesis & Persistence (2P30AI036219-26A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10457726. Licensed CC0.

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