Research Projects

The chronic stages of HIV-1 disease involve the infection of various cells, but it propagates unrestrainedly in some cell types, such as T-cells, and remains as reservoirs in others, such as astrocytes. This indicates distinct anti-viral strategies by 'HIV-1 propagation-limiting' cells. The transition from acute to chronic phases correlates with a change in receptor usage by the evolving HIV strain, leading to a quasi-species population of R5, X4, and R5/X4, with a shift from R5 to X4 and R5/X4 marking disease severity. The impact of cell-specific microenvironments and cellular events on these dynamics and infectivity is poorly understood. This project aims to understand the fundamentals of HIV restriction in HIV-propagation-limiting cells to address these questions. Previous observations on variance in viral titers and spatial distribution of HIV-1 Rev in different cell types and differential infectivity of HIV virions arising from different cell types have been supported. The study will compare titers, infectivity, and tropism of emerging virions from cellular microenvironments of T-cells and astrocytes, and decipher the role of packaged host proteins. A comparative study on sub-cellular localization and function of viral proteins will be conducted to understand if these events are executed through distinctive regulation of viral proteins. The study will unfold cell-specific impact on viral population dynamics and infectivity, potentially used in developing host-directed therapy to regulate HIV disease progression.