# Role of host factors and HLA-E T cell immunity in HIV rebound kinetics

> **NIH NIH P01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · 2020 · $299,115

## Abstract

Project summary:
Establishing reliable predictors of viral rebound in HIV treatment interruption is a prerequisite to accelerating
the development of effective HIV cure and eradication strategies. The definition of such predictors is,
however, complicated by the diverse clinical histories of each infected individual and the variable levels of host
immunity levied against the virus, As therapeutic vaccination is considered a critical component of the HIV
cure agenda, immune predictors of virus control should ideally also be assessed in the context of the most
advanced and potent vaccine strategies available and in individuals with maximally maintained immune
function. In Project 1 of this P01 program we will take advantage of having conducted a series of clinical trials
that provide an extraordinarily rich sample base from past, ongoing and future treatment interruption trials that,
in some cases, are combined with the most immunogenic and promising therapeutic vaccine candidates to
date. We will use this privileged situation to test the hypothesis that HLA-E restricted T cell responses impact
viral reservoir activity and the kinetics of viral rebound and that additional host factors and viral reservoir
characteristics enhance this effect. The hypothesis is based on intriguing data from the SIV model, where
Mamu-E restricted T cell responses have been implicated in vaccine-mediated virus control, and our own
extensive preliminary data linking epigenetic modification of critical host factors, including HLA-E, to viral
control in untreated HIV infection. Together with data from Project 3 and validation experiments in monkey
models in Project 2, we will address the question of whether strong HLA-E restricted responses discordantly
affect myeloid and lymphoid reservoirs that leads to changes in reservoir and rebounding virus composition. If
successful, the expected data will establish markers of successful therapeutic vaccination and effective control
of viral rebound in HIV cure strategies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9963120
- **Project number:** 5P01AI131568-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
- **Principal Investigator:** CHRISTIAN BRANDER
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $299,115
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-07-19 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9963120

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9963120, Role of host factors and HLA-E T cell immunity in HIV rebound kinetics (5P01AI131568-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9963120. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*