# Understanding Co-morbidities: COVID-19 in individuals living with HIV/AIDS

> **NIH NIH R01** · TEXAS BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE · 2024 · $986,355

## Abstract

Summary
While COVID-19 continues to be a health challenge, very little is known about how COVID-19 affects people
living with HIV (PLHIV). Based on the most recent reports originating from CDC and WHO, however, it appears
that people with HIV may have a 30% greater likelihood of developing severe COVID-19 disease when infected
with SARS-CoV-2. We will leverage the established rhesus macaque models of SARS-CoV-2 infection resulting
in COVID-19 and SIV infection to characterize the effects of underlying SIV infection on the manifestation of both
acute and post-acute COVID-19 sequelae. Our group was amongst few that established the rhesus macaque
models of COVID-19 infection early on during the pandemic. Our model has been utilized to both study the
immunological mechanisms of protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as for accelerated development of
vaccine and therapeutics against COVID-19. Here we propose to couple this model with the long-standing, highly
validated, pathogenic AIDS NHP model in SIV infected rhesus macaques to study a central hypothesis that
underlying SIV infection and the resulting immunodeficiency/immune activation promotes the progression of a
more severe COVID-19 presentation due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. As corollary, we hypothesize that ART does
not completely suppress the ill effects of chronic immune activation due to SIV, it will not completely prevent the
progression of severe COVID-19 due to SARS-CoV-2 infection in the macaque model. We have the experience
in infecting rhesus macaques with SIV and treating these animals with ART to suppress viral replication and
study immune mechanisms. By profiling the differences in dynamics of viral titers, induced tissue pathology, and
underlying immunological perturbations, we will provide definitive knowledge in whether SIV infected rhesus
macaques exhibit higher susceptibility to severe COVID-19. Furthermore, our studies will also be able to hint at
the specific mechanisms which result in this susceptibility. Delineating these comorbid immunological factors
driving susceptibility will enable better clinical monitoring and informed decisions for patient care. Mechanistic
insights developed by this study is also imperative for the development of host-directed immunotherapeutic
interventions for combating COVID-19 in PLHIV.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10765647
- **Project number:** 5R01AI170197-03
- **Recipient organization:** TEXAS BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** Dhiraj Kumar Singh
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $986,355
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-02-01 → 2027-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10765647

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10765647, Understanding Co-morbidities: COVID-19 in individuals living with HIV/AIDS (5R01AI170197-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10765647. Licensed CC0.

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