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Armani-Tourret M, Bone B, Tan TS, Sun W, Bellefroid M, Struyve T, Louella M, Yu XG, Lichterfeld M. Immune targeting of HIV-1 reservoir cells: a path to elimination strategies and cure. Nat Rev Microbiol 2024; 22:328-344. [PMID: 38337034 PMCID: PMC11131351 DOI: 10.1038/s41579-024-01010-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Successful approaches for eradication or cure of HIV-1 infection are likely to include immunological mechanisms, but remarkably little is known about how human immune responses can recognize and interact with the few HIV-1-infected cells that harbour genome-intact viral DNA, persist long term despite antiretroviral therapy and represent the main barrier to a cure. For a long time regarded as being completely shielded from host immune responses due to viral latency, these cells do, on closer examination with single-cell analytic techniques, display discrete footprints of immune selection, implying that human immune responses may be able to effectively engage and target at least some of these cells. The failure to eliminate rebound-competent virally infected cells in the majority of persons likely reflects the evolution of a highly selected pool of reservoir cells that are effectively camouflaged from immune recognition or rely on sophisticated approaches for resisting immune-mediated killing. Understanding the fine-tuned interplay between host immune responses and viral reservoir cells will help to design improved interventions that exploit the immunological vulnerabilities of HIV-1 reservoir cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Armani-Tourret
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin Bone
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Toong Seng Tan
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Weiwei Sun
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Maxime Bellefroid
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Tine Struyve
- HIV Cure Research Center, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Michael Louella
- Community Advisory Board, Delaney AIDS Research Enterprise (DARE), San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Xu G Yu
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mathias Lichterfeld
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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2
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Lee SK, Sondgeroth A, Xu Y, Warren J, Zhou S, Gilleece M, Hauser BM, Gay CL, Kuruc JD, Archin NM, Eron JJ, Margolis DM, Goonetilleke N, Swanstrom R. Sequence Analysis of Inducible, Replication-Competent Virus Reveals No Evidence of HIV-1 Evolution During Suppressive Antiviral Therapy, Indicating a Lack of Ongoing Viral Replication. Open Forum Infect Dis 2024; 11:ofae212. [PMID: 38756763 PMCID: PMC11097118 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofae212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Persistence of HIV-1 in reservoirs necessitates life-long antiretroviral therapy (ART). There are conflicting data using genetic analysis on whether persistence includes an actively replicating reservoir with strong evidence arguing against replication. Methods We investigated the possibility of ongoing viral evolution during suppressive therapy by comparing near full-length viral genomic sequences using phylogenetic analysis of viral RNA in plasma before therapy initiation early after infection and from virus induced to grow from the latent reservoir after a period of suppressive ART. We also focused our analysis on evidence of selective pressure by drugs in the treatment regimen and at sites of selective pressure by the adaptive immune response. Results Viral genomes induced to grow from the latent reservoir from 10 participants with up to 9 years on suppressive ART were highly similar to the nearly homogeneous sequences in plasma taken early after infection at ART initiation. This finding was consistent across the entire genome and when the analysis focused on sites targeted by the drug regimen and by host selective pressure of antibody and cytotoxic T cells. The lack of viral evolution away from pretherapy sequences in spite of demonstrated selective pressure is most consistent with a lack of viral replication during reservoir persistence. Conclusions These results do not support ongoing viral replication as a mechanism of HIV-1 persistence during suppressive ART.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sook-Kyung Lee
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Amy Sondgeroth
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Yinyan Xu
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- UNC HIV Cure Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Joanna Warren
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- UNC HIV Cure Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Shuntai Zhou
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Maria Gilleece
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Blake M Hauser
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Cynthia L Gay
- UNC HIV Cure Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - JoAnn D Kuruc
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Nancie M Archin
- UNC HIV Cure Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Joseph J Eron
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - David M Margolis
- UNC HIV Cure Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Nilu Goonetilleke
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- UNC HIV Cure Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ronald Swanstrom
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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3
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Mbonye U, Karn J. The cell biology of HIV-1 latency and rebound. Retrovirology 2024; 21:6. [PMID: 38580979 PMCID: PMC10996279 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-024-00639-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Transcriptionally latent forms of replication-competent proviruses, present primarily in a small subset of memory CD4+ T cells, pose the primary barrier to a cure for HIV-1 infection because they are the source of the viral rebound that almost inevitably follows the interruption of antiretroviral therapy. Over the last 30 years, many of the factors essential for initiating HIV-1 transcription have been identified in studies performed using transformed cell lines, such as the Jurkat T-cell model. However, as highlighted in this review, several poorly understood mechanisms still need to be elucidated, including the molecular basis for promoter-proximal pausing of the transcribing complex and the detailed mechanism of the delivery of P-TEFb from 7SK snRNP. Furthermore, the central paradox of HIV-1 transcription remains unsolved: how are the initial rounds of transcription achieved in the absence of Tat? A critical limitation of the transformed cell models is that they do not recapitulate the transitions between active effector cells and quiescent memory T cells. Therefore, investigation of the molecular mechanisms of HIV-1 latency reversal and LRA efficacy in a proper physiological context requires the utilization of primary cell models. Recent mechanistic studies of HIV-1 transcription using latently infected cells recovered from donors and ex vivo cellular models of viral latency have demonstrated that the primary blocks to HIV-1 transcription in memory CD4+ T cells are restrictive epigenetic features at the proviral promoter, the cytoplasmic sequestration of key transcription initiation factors such as NFAT and NF-κB, and the vanishingly low expression of the cellular transcription elongation factor P-TEFb. One of the foremost schemes to eliminate the residual reservoir is to deliberately reactivate latent HIV-1 proviruses to enable clearance of persisting latently infected cells-the "Shock and Kill" strategy. For "Shock and Kill" to become efficient, effective, non-toxic latency-reversing agents (LRAs) must be discovered. Since multiple restrictions limit viral reactivation in primary cells, understanding the T-cell signaling mechanisms that are essential for stimulating P-TEFb biogenesis, initiation factor activation, and reversing the proviral epigenetic restrictions have become a prerequisite for the development of more effective LRAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uri Mbonye
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
| | - Jonathan Karn
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
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4
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Roux H, Chomont N. Measuring Human Immunodeficiency Virus Reservoirs: Do We Need to Choose Between Quantity and Quality? J Infect Dis 2024; 229:635-643. [PMID: 37665978 PMCID: PMC10938203 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The persistence of latent viral genomes in people receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the main obstacle to a cure for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Viral reservoirs can be defined as cells harboring HIV genomes that have the ability to produce infectious virions. Precise quantification of the cellular reservoirs of HIV is challenging because these cells are rare, heterogeneous, and outnumbered by a larger number of cells carrying defective genomes. In addition, measuring the inducibility of these proviruses requires functional assays and remains technically difficult. The recent development of single-cell and single-viral genome approaches revealed additional layers of complexity: the cell subsets that harbor proviruses are heterogeneous and their ability to be induced is variable. A substantial fraction of intact HIV genomes may be permanently silenced after years of ART, revealing the underappreciated importance of induction assays. As such, a simple approach that would assess simultaneously the genetic intactness and the inducibility of the reservoir is still lacking. In this study, we review recent advances in the development of methods to quantify and characterize persistently infected cells, and we discuss how these findings can inform the design of future assays aimed at measuring the size of the intact and inducible HIV reservoir.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Roux
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nicolas Chomont
- Département de Microbiologie, Infectiologie et Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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5
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Kufera JT, Armstrong C, Wu F, Singhal A, Zhang H, Lai J, Wilkins HN, Simonetti FR, Siliciano JD, Siliciano RF. CD4+ T cells with latent HIV-1 have reduced proliferative responses to T cell receptor stimulation. J Exp Med 2024; 221:e20231511. [PMID: 38270554 PMCID: PMC10818065 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20231511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The latent reservoir for HIV-1 in resting CD4+ T cells persists despite antiretroviral therapy as a barrier to cure. The antigen-driven proliferation of infected cells is a major mechanism of reservoir persistence. However, activation through the T cell antigen receptor (TCR) can induce latent proviruses, leading to viral cytopathic effects and immune clearance. In single-cell studies, we show that, relative to uninfected cells or cells with a defective provirus, CD4+ T cells with an intact provirus have a profound proliferative defect in response to TCR stimulation. Virion production was observed in only 16.5% of cultures with an intact provirus, but proliferation was reduced even when no virion production was detected. Proliferation was inversely correlated with in vivo clone size. These results may reflect the effects of previous in vivo proliferation and do not support attempts to reduce the reservoir with antiproliferative agents, which may have greater effects on normal T cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua T. Kufera
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ciara Armstrong
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Fengting Wu
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Anushka Singhal
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jun Lai
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hannah N. Wilkins
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Janet D. Siliciano
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert F. Siliciano
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
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6
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Armani-Tourret M, Gao C, Hartana CA, Sun W, Carrere L, Vela L, Hochroth A, Bellefroid M, Sbrolla A, Shea K, Flynn T, Roseto I, Rassadkina Y, Lee C, Giguel F, Malhotra R, Bushman FD, Gandhi RT, Yu XG, Kuritzkes DR, Lichterfeld M. Selection of epigenetically privileged HIV-1 proviruses during treatment with panobinostat and interferon-α2a. Cell 2024; 187:1238-1254.e14. [PMID: 38367616 PMCID: PMC10903630 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.01.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
CD4+ T cells with latent HIV-1 infection persist despite treatment with antiretroviral agents and represent the main barrier to a cure of HIV-1 infection. Pharmacological disruption of viral latency may expose HIV-1-infected cells to host immune activity, but the clinical efficacy of latency-reversing agents for reducing HIV-1 persistence remains to be proven. Here, we show in a randomized-controlled human clinical trial that the histone deacetylase inhibitor panobinostat, when administered in combination with pegylated interferon-α2a, induces a structural transformation of the HIV-1 reservoir cell pool, characterized by a disproportionate overrepresentation of HIV-1 proviruses integrated in ZNF genes and in chromatin regions with reduced H3K27ac marks, the molecular target sites for panobinostat. By contrast, proviruses near H3K27ac marks were actively selected against, likely due to increased susceptibility to panobinostat. These data suggest that latency-reversing treatment can increase the immunological vulnerability of HIV-1 reservoir cells and accelerate the selection of epigenetically privileged HIV-1 proviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ce Gao
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ciputra Adijaya Hartana
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - WeiWei Sun
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Leah Carrere
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Liliana Vela
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | | | - Amy Sbrolla
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Katrina Shea
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Theresa Flynn
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Isabelle Roseto
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Carole Lee
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Francoise Giguel
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rajeev Malhotra
- Division of Cardiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Frederic D Bushman
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Rajesh T Gandhi
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Xu G Yu
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Daniel R Kuritzkes
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mathias Lichterfeld
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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7
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Faua C, Ursenbach A, Fuchs A, Caspar S, Jegou F, Ruch Y, Hoellinger B, Laugel E, Velay A, Rey D, Fafi-Kremer S, Gantner P. HIV Productively Infects Highly Differentiated and Exhausted CD4+ T Cells During AIDS. Pathog Immun 2024; 8:92-114. [PMID: 38420260 PMCID: PMC10901154 DOI: 10.20411/pai.v8i2.638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Throughout HIV infection, productively infected cells generate billions of viral particles and are thus responsible for body-wide HIV dissemination, but their phenotype during AIDS is unknown. As AIDS is associated with immunological changes, analyzing the phenotype of productively infected cells can help understand HIV production during this terminal stage. Methods Blood samples from 15 untreated viremic participants (recent infection, n=5; long-term infection, n=5; active opportunistic AIDS-defining disease, n=5) and 5 participants virologically controlled on antiretroviral therapy (ART) enrolled in the Analysis of the Persistence, Reservoir and HIV Latency (APRIL) study (NCT05752318) were analyzed. Cells expressing the capsid protein p24 (p24+ cells) after 18 hours of resting or 24 hours of stimulation (HIV-Flow) revealed productively infected cells from viremic participants or translation-competent reservoir cells from treated participants, respectively. Results The frequency of productively infected cells tended to be higher during AIDS in comparison with recent and long-term infections (median, 340, 72, and 32/million CD4+ T cells, respectively) and correlated with the plasma viral load at all stages of infection. Altogether, these cells were more frequently CD4low, HLA-ABClow, CD45RA-, Ki67+, PD-1+, with a non-negligible contribution from pTfh (CXCR5+PD-1+) cells, and were not significantly enriched in HIV coreceptors CCR5 nor CXCR4 expression. The comparison markers expression between stages showed that productively infected cells during AIDS were enriched in memory and exhausted cells. In contrast, the frequencies of infected pTfh were lower during AIDS compared to non-AIDS stages. A UMAP analysis revealed that total CD4+ T cells were grouped in 7 clusters and that productive p24+ cells were skewed to given clusters throughout the course of infection. Overall, the preferential targets of HIV during the latest stages seemed to be more frequently highly differentiated (memory, TTD-like) and exhausted cells and less frequently pTfh-like cells. In contrast, translation-competent reservoir cells were less frequent (5/million CD4+ T cells) and expressed more frequently HLA-ABC and less frequently PD-1. Conclusions In long-term infection and AIDS, productively infected cells were differentiated and exhausted. This could indicate that cells with these given features are responsible for HIV production and dissemination in an immune dysfunction environment occurring during the last stages of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clayton Faua
- INSERM UMR_S1109, Strasbourg University, Strasbourg, France
| | - Axel Ursenbach
- Le Trait d'Union, HIV-Infection Care Center, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
| | - Anne Fuchs
- Clinical Virology Laboratory, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
| | - Stéphanie Caspar
- Clinical Virology Laboratory, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
| | - Frédérick Jegou
- Clinical Virology Laboratory, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
| | - Yvon Ruch
- Infectious Diseases Department, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
| | - Baptiste Hoellinger
- Infectious Diseases Department, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
| | - Elodie Laugel
- INSERM UMR_S1109, Strasbourg University, Strasbourg, France
- Clinical Virology Laboratory, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
| | - Aurélie Velay
- INSERM UMR_S1109, Strasbourg University, Strasbourg, France
- Clinical Virology Laboratory, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
| | - David Rey
- Le Trait d'Union, HIV-Infection Care Center, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
| | - Samira Fafi-Kremer
- INSERM UMR_S1109, Strasbourg University, Strasbourg, France
- Clinical Virology Laboratory, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
| | - Pierre Gantner
- INSERM UMR_S1109, Strasbourg University, Strasbourg, France
- Clinical Virology Laboratory, Strasbourg University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
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8
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Rausch JW, Parvez S, Pathak S, Capoferri AA, Kearney MF. HIV Expression in Infected T Cell Clones. Viruses 2024; 16:108. [PMID: 38257808 PMCID: PMC10820123 DOI: 10.3390/v16010108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The principal barrier to an HIV-1 cure is the persistence of infected cells harboring replication-competent proviruses despite antiretroviral therapy (ART). HIV-1 transcriptional suppression, referred to as viral latency, is foremost among persistence determinants, as it allows infected cells to evade the cytopathic effects of virion production and killing by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and other immune factors. HIV-1 persistence is also governed by cellular proliferation, an innate and essential capacity of CD4+ T cells that both sustains cell populations over time and enables a robust directed response to immunological threats. However, when HIV-1 infects CD4+ T cells, this capacity for proliferation can enable surreptitious HIV-1 propagation without the deleterious effects of viral gene expression in latently infected cells. Over time on ART, the HIV-1 reservoir is shaped by both persistence determinants, with selective forces most often favoring clonally expanded infected cell populations harboring transcriptionally quiescent proviruses. Moreover, if HIV latency is incomplete or sporadically reversed in clonal infected cell populations that are replenished faster than they are depleted, such populations could both persist indefinitely and contribute to low-level persistent viremia during ART and viremic rebound if treatment is withdrawn. In this review, select genetic, epigenetic, cellular, and immunological determinants of viral transcriptional suppression and clonal expansion of HIV-1 reservoir T cells, interdependencies among these determinants, and implications for HIV-1 persistence will be presented and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason W. Rausch
- HIV Dynamics and Replication Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (S.P.); (S.P.); (A.A.C.); (M.F.K.)
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9
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Pardons M, Cole B, Lambrechts L, van Snippenberg W, Rutsaert S, Noppe Y, De Langhe N, Dhondt A, Vega J, Eyassu F, Nijs E, Van Gulck E, Boden D, Vandekerckhove L. Potent latency reversal by Tat RNA-containing nanoparticle enables multi-omic analysis of the HIV-1 reservoir. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8397. [PMID: 38110433 PMCID: PMC10728105 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44020-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of latency reversing agents that potently reactivate HIV without inducing global T cell activation would benefit the field of HIV reservoir research and could pave the way to a functional cure. Here, we explore the reactivation capacity of a lipid nanoparticle containing Tat mRNA (Tat-LNP) in CD4 T cells from people living with HIV undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART). When combined with panobinostat, Tat-LNP induces latency reversal in a significantly higher proportion of latently infected cells compared to PMA/ionomycin (≈ 4-fold higher). We demonstrate that Tat-LNP does not alter the transcriptome of CD4 T cells, enabling the characterization of latently infected cells in their near-native state. Upon latency reversal, we identify transcriptomic differences between infected cells carrying an inducible provirus and non-infected cells (e.g. LINC02964, GZMA, CCL5). We confirm the transcriptomic differences at the protein level and provide evidence that the long non-coding RNA LINC02964 plays a role in active HIV infection. Furthermore, p24+ cells exhibit heightened PI3K/Akt signaling, along with downregulation of protein translation, suggesting that HIV-infected cells display distinct signatures facilitating their long-term persistence. Tat-LNP represents a valuable research tool for in vitro reservoir studies as it greatly facilitates the in-depth characterization of HIV reservoir cells' transcriptome and proteome profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Pardons
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Basiel Cole
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Laurens Lambrechts
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- BioBix, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Willem van Snippenberg
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sofie Rutsaert
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ytse Noppe
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nele De Langhe
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Annemieke Dhondt
- Department of Nephrology, Ghent University Hospital, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jerel Vega
- Arcturus Therapeutics, 10628 Science Center Drive, Suite 250, San Diego, 92121, CA, USA
| | - Filmon Eyassu
- Computational biology, Johnson and Johnson, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Erik Nijs
- Janssen infectious diseases and diagnostics, Johnson and Johnson, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Ellen Van Gulck
- Janssen infectious diseases and diagnostics, Johnson and Johnson, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Daniel Boden
- Janssen Biopharma, Johnson and Johnson, South San Francisco, 94080, CA, USA
| | - Linos Vandekerckhove
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
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10
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Pasternak AO, Tsukamoto T, Berkhout B. 'Zombie' proviruses in the spotlight: exploring the dark side of HIV persistence. AIDS 2023; 37:2239-2241. [PMID: 37877277 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000003721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander O Pasternak
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tetsuo Tsukamoto
- Department of Health Informatics, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
| | - Ben Berkhout
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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11
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Lambrechts L, Bonine N, Verstraeten R, Pardons M, Noppe Y, Rutsaert S, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Van Criekinge W, Cole B, Vandekerckhove L. HIV-PULSE: a long-read sequencing assay for high-throughput near full-length HIV-1 proviral genome characterization. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:e102. [PMID: 37819007 PMCID: PMC10639044 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
A deep understanding of the composition of the HIV-1 reservoir is necessary for the development of targeted therapies and the evaluation of curative efforts. However, current near full-length (NFL) HIV-1 proviral genome sequencing assays are based on labor-intensive and costly principles of repeated PCRs at limiting dilution, restricting their scalability. To address this, we developed a high-throughput, long-read sequencing assay called HIV-PULSE (HIV Proviral UMI-mediated Long-read Sequencing). This assay uses unique molecular identifiers (UMIs) to tag individual HIV-1 genomes, allowing for the omission of the limiting dilution step and enabling long-range PCR amplification of many NFL genomes in a single PCR reaction, while simultaneously overcoming poor single-read accuracy. We optimized the assay using HIV-infected cell lines and then applied it to blood samples from 18 individuals living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy, yielding a total of 1308 distinct HIV-1 genomes. Benchmarking against the widely applied Full-Length Individual Proviral Sequencing assay revealed similar sensitivity (11 vs 18%) and overall good concordance, although at a significantly higher throughput. In conclusion, HIV-PULSE is a cost-efficient and scalable assay that allows for the characterization of the HIV-1 proviral landscape, making it an attractive method to study the HIV-1 reservoir composition and dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurens Lambrechts
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- BioBix, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Noah Bonine
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- BioBix, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Rita Verstraeten
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
- BioBix, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marion Pardons
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ytse Noppe
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sofie Rutsaert
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Filip Van Nieuwerburgh
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wim Van Criekinge
- BioBix, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Basiel Cole
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Linos Vandekerckhove
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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12
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Dragoni F, Kwaa AK, Traut CC, Veenhuis RT, Woldemeskel BA, Camilo-Contreras A, Raymond HE, Dykema AG, Scully EP, Rosecrans AM, Smith KN, Bushman FD, Simonetti FR, Blankson JN. Proviral location affects cognate peptide-induced virus production and immune recognition of HIV-1-infected T cell clones. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:e171097. [PMID: 37698927 PMCID: PMC10617777 DOI: 10.1172/jci171097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUNDHIV-1-infected CD4+ T cells contribute to latent reservoir persistence by proliferating while avoiding immune recognition. Integration features of intact proviruses in elite controllers (ECs) and people on long-term therapy suggest that proviruses in specific chromosomal locations can evade immune surveillance. However, direct evidence of this mechanism is missing.METHODSIn this case report, we characterized integration sites and full genome sequences of expanded T cell clones in an EC before and after chemoradiation. We identified the cognate peptide of infected clones to investigate cell proliferation and virus production induced by T cell activation, and susceptibility to autologous CD8+ T cells.RESULTSThe proviral landscape was dominated by 2 large clones with replication-competent proviruses integrated into zinc finger (ZNF) genes (ZNF470 and ZNF721) in locations previously associated with deeper latency. A third nearly intact provirus, with a stop codon in Pol, was integrated into an intergenic site. Upon stimulation with cognate Gag peptides, infected clones proliferated extensively and produced virus, but the provirus in ZNF721 was 200-fold less inducible. While autologous CD8+ T cells decreased the proliferation of cells carrying the intergenic provirus, they had no effect on cells with the provirus in the ZNF721 gene.CONCLUSIONSWe provide direct evidence that upon activation of infected clones by cognate antigen, the lower inducibility of intact proviruses in ZNF genes can result in immune evasion and persistence.FUNDINGOffice of the NIH Director and National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research; NIAID, NIH; Johns Hopkins University Center for AIDS Research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Rebecca T. Veenhuis
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, and
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - Hayley E. Raymond
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Arbor G. Dykema
- Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - Kellie N. Smith
- Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Frederic D. Bushman
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Joel N. Blankson
- Department of Medicine
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, and
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13
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Moar P, Premeaux TA, Atkins A, Ndhlovu LC. The latent HIV reservoir: current advances in genetic sequencing approaches. mBio 2023; 14:e0134423. [PMID: 37811964 PMCID: PMC10653892 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01344-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple cellular HIV reservoirs in diverse anatomical sites can undergo clonal expansion and persist for years despite suppressive antiretroviral therapy, posing a major barrier toward an HIV cure. Commonly adopted assays to assess HIV reservoir size mainly consist of PCR-based measures of cell-associated total proviral DNA, intact proviruses and transcriptionally competent provirus (viral RNA), flow cytometry and microscopy-based methods to measure translationally competent provirus (viral protein), and quantitative viral outgrowth assay, the gold standard to measure replication-competent provirus; yet no assay alone can provide a comprehensive view of the total HIV reservoir or its dynamics. Furthermore, the detection of extant provirus by these measures does not preclude defects affecting replication competence. An accurate measure of the latent reservoir is essential for evaluating the efficacy of HIV cure strategies. Recent approaches have been developed, which generate proviral sequence data to create a more detailed profile of the latent reservoir. These sequencing approaches are valuable tools to understand the complex multicellular processes in a diverse range of tissues and cell types and have provided insights into the mechanisms of HIV establishment and persistence. These advancements over previous sequencing methods have allowed multiplexing and new assays have emerged, which can document transcriptional activity, chromosome accessibility, and in-depth cellular phenotypes harboring latent HIV, enabling the characterization of rare infected cells across restrictive sites such as the brain. In this manuscript, we provide a review of HIV sequencing-based assays adopted to address challenges in quantifying and characterizing the latent HIV reservoir.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preeti Moar
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Thomas A. Premeaux
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Andrew Atkins
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Lishomwa C. Ndhlovu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, New York, USA
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, New York, USA
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14
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Reeves DB, Gaebler C, Oliveira TY, Peluso MJ, Schiffer JT, Cohn LB, Deeks SG, Nussenzweig MC. Impact of misclassified defective proviruses on HIV reservoir measurements. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4186. [PMID: 37443365 PMCID: PMC10345136 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39837-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Most proviruses persisting in people living with HIV (PWH) on antiretroviral therapy (ART) are defective. However, rarer intact proviruses almost always reinitiate viral rebound if ART stops. Therefore, assessing therapies to prevent viral rebound hinges on specifically quantifying intact proviruses. We evaluated the same samples from 10 male PWH on ART using the two-probe intact proviral DNA assay (IPDA) and near full length (nfl) Q4PCR. Both assays admitted similar ratios of intact to total HIV DNA, but IPDA found ~40-fold more intact proviruses. Neither assay suggested defective proviruses decay over 10 years. However, the mean intact half-lives were different: 108 months for IPDA and 65 months for Q4PCR. To reconcile this difference, we modeled additional longitudinal IPDA data and showed that decelerating intact decay could arise from very long-lived intact proviruses and/or misclassified defective proviruses: slowly decaying defective proviruses that are intact in IPDA probe locations (estimated up to 5%, in agreement with sequence library based predictions). The model also demonstrates how misclassification can lead to underestimated efficacy of therapies that exclusively reduce intact proviruses. We conclude that sensitive multi-probe assays combined with specific nfl-verified assays would be optimal to document absolute and changing levels of intact HIV proviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B Reeves
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Christian Gaebler
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Laboratory of Translational Immunology of Viral Infections, Department of Infectious Diseases, Charité -Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Thiago Y Oliveira
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael J Peluso
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joshua T Schiffer
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lillian B Cohn
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Steven G Deeks
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Michel C Nussenzweig
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
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15
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Faua C, Fafi-Kremer S, Gantner P. Antigen specificities of HIV-infected cells: A role in infection and persistence? J Virus Erad 2023; 9:100329. [PMID: 37440870 PMCID: PMC10334354 DOI: 10.1016/j.jve.2023.100329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Antigen-experienced memory CD4+ T cells are the major target of HIV infection and support both productive and latent infections, thus playing a key role in HIV dissemination and persistence, respectively. Here, we reviewed studies that have shown direct association between HIV infection and antigen specificity. During untreated infection, some HIV-specific cells host productive infection, while other pathogen-specific cells such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis also contribute to viral persistence on antiretroviral therapy (ART). These patterns could be explained by phenotypic features differing between these pathogen-specific cells. Mechanisms involved in these preferential infection and selection processes include HIV entry and restriction, cell exhaustion, survival, self-renewal and immune escape. For instance, MIP-1β expressing cells such as CMV-specific memory cells were shown to resist infection by HIV CCR5 coreceptor downregulation/inhibition. Conversely, HIV-infected CMV-specific cells undergo clonal expansion during ART. We have identified several research areas that need further focus such as the role of other pathogens, viral genome intactness, inducibility and phenotypic features. However, given the sheer diversity of both the CD4+ T cell repertoire and antigenic history of each individual, studying HIV-infected, antigen-experienced cells still imposes numerous challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clayton Faua
- INSERM UMR_S1109, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Samira Fafi-Kremer
- INSERM UMR_S1109, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Medical Virology Laboratory, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Pierre Gantner
- INSERM UMR_S1109, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Medical Virology Laboratory, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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16
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Zhang X, Chen J. HIV Reservoir: How to Measure It? Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 2023; 20:29-41. [PMID: 37004676 DOI: 10.1007/s11904-023-00653-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSEOF REVIEW In the current quest for a complete cure for HIV/AIDS, the persistence of a long-lived reservoir of cells carrying replication-competent proviruses is the major challenge. Here, we describe the main elements and characteristics of several widely used assays of HIV latent reservoir detection. RECENT FINDINGS To date, researchers have developed several different HIV latent reservoir detection assays. Among them, the in vitro quantitative viral outgrowth assay (QVOA) has been the gold standard for assessing latent HIV-1 viral load. The intact proviral DNA assay (IPDA) based on PCR also demonstrated the predominance of defective viruses. However, these assays all have some drawbacks and may still be inadequate in detecting the presence of ultralow levels of latent virus in many patients who were initially thought to have been cured, but eventually showed viral rebound. An accurate and precise measurement of the HIV reservoir is therefore needed to evaluate curative strategies, aimed to functional cure or sterilizing cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Zhang
- Scientific Research Center, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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17
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Emery A, Joseph SB, Swanstrom R. Nonsuppressible viremia during HIV-1 therapy meets molecular virology. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:167925. [PMID: 36919694 PMCID: PMC10014097 DOI: 10.1172/jci167925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 replication can be suppressed with antiretroviral therapy (ART), but individuals who stop taking ART soon become viremic again. Some people experience extended times of detectable viremia despite optimal adherence to ART. In this issue of the JCI, White, Wu, and coauthors elucidate a source of nonsuppressible viremia (NSV) in treatment-adherent patients - clonally expanded T cells harboring HIV-1 proviruses with small deletions or mutations in the 5'-leader, the UTR that includes the major splice donor site of viral RNA. These mutations altered viral RNA-splicing efficiency and RNA dimerization and packaging, yet still allowed production of detectable levels of noninfectious virus particles. These particles lacked the HIV-1 Env surface protein required for cell entry and failed to form the mature capsid cone required for infectivity. These studies improve our understanding of NSV and the regulation of viral functions in the 5'-leader with implications for rationalized care in individuals with NSV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Emery
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
| | - Sarah B Joseph
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology.,UNC HIV Cure Center, and
| | - Ronald Swanstrom
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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18
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White JA, Wu F, Yasin S, Moskovljevic M, Varriale J, Dragoni F, Camilo-Contreras A, Duan J, Zheng MY, Tadzong NF, Patel HB, Quiambao JMC, Rhodehouse K, Zhang H, Lai J, Beg SA, Delannoy M, Kilcrease C, Hoffmann CJ, Poulin S, Chano F, Tremblay C, Cherian J, Barditch-Crovo P, Chida N, Moore RD, Summers MF, Siliciano RF, Siliciano JD, Simonetti FR. Clonally expanded HIV-1 proviruses with 5'-leader defects can give rise to nonsuppressible residual viremia. J Clin Invest 2023; 133:165245. [PMID: 36602866 PMCID: PMC10014112 DOI: 10.1172/jci165245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundAntiretroviral therapy (ART) halts HIV-1 replication, decreasing viremia to below the detection limit of clinical assays. However, some individuals experience persistent nonsuppressible viremia (NSV) originating from CD4+ T cell clones carrying infectious proviruses. Defective proviruses represent over 90% of all proviruses persisting during ART and can express viral genes, but whether they can cause NSV and complicate ART management is unknown.MethodsWe undertook an in-depth characterization of proviruses causing NSV in 4 study participants with optimal adherence and no drug resistance. We investigated the impact of the observed defects on 5'-leader RNA properties, virus infectivity, and gene expression. Integration-site specific assays were used to track these proviruses over time and among cell subsets.ResultsClones carrying proviruses with 5'-leader defects can cause persistent NSV up to approximately 103 copies/mL. These proviruses had small, often identical deletions or point mutations involving the major splicing donor (MSD) site and showed partially reduced RNA dimerization and nucleocapsid binding. Nevertheless, they were inducible and produced noninfectious virions containing viral RNA, but lacking envelope.ConclusionThese findings show that proviruses with 5'-leader defects in CD4+ T cell clones can give rise to NSV, affecting clinical care. Sequencing of the 5'-leader can help in understanding failure to completely suppress viremia.FundingOffice of the NIH Director and National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, NIH; Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Johns Hopkins University Center for AIDS Research; National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), NIH, to the PAVE, BEAT-HIV, and DARE Martin Delaney collaboratories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A White
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Fengting Wu
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Saif Yasin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Milica Moskovljevic
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Joseph Varriale
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Filippo Dragoni
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Jiayi Duan
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Mei Y Zheng
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Ndeh F Tadzong
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Heer B Patel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jeanelle Mae C Quiambao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Kyle Rhodehouse
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Hao Zhang
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jun Lai
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Subul A Beg
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael Delannoy
- Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Christin Kilcrease
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Christopher J Hoffmann
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - Cécile Tremblay
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, Canada.,Département de Microbiologie, Immunologie et Infectiologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Jerald Cherian
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Patricia Barditch-Crovo
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Natasha Chida
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Richard D Moore
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael F Summers
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert F Siliciano
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Janet D Siliciano
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Francesco R Simonetti
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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19
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Dufour C, Richard C, Pardons M, Massanella M, Ackaoui A, Murrell B, Routy B, Thomas R, Routy JP, Fromentin R, Chomont N. Phenotypic characterization of single CD4+ T cells harboring genetically intact and inducible HIV genomes. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1115. [PMID: 36849523 PMCID: PMC9971253 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36772-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The phenotype of the rare HIV-infected cells persisting during antiretroviral therapies (ART) remains elusive. We developed a single-cell approach that combines the phenotypic analysis of HIV-infected cells with near full-length sequencing of their associated proviruses to characterize the viral reservoir in 6 male individuals on suppressive ART. We show that individual cells carrying clonally expanded identical proviruses display very diverse phenotypes, indicating that cellular proliferation contributes to the phenotypic diversification of the HIV reservoir. Unlike most viral genomes persisting on ART, inducible and translation-competent proviruses rarely present large deletions but are enriched in defects in the Ψ locus. Interestingly, the few cells harboring genetically intact and inducible viral genomes express higher levels of the integrin VLA-4 compared to uninfected cells or cells with defective proviruses. Viral outgrowth assay confirmed that memory CD4+ T cells expressing high levels of VLA-4 are highly enriched in replication-competent HIV (27-fold enrichment). We conclude that although clonal expansions diversify the phenotype of HIV reservoir cells, CD4+ T cells harboring replication-competent HIV retain VLA-4 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Dufour
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM and Department of Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, H2X 0A9, Quebec, Canada
| | - Corentin Richard
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM and Department of Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, H2X 0A9, Quebec, Canada
| | - Marion Pardons
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM and Department of Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, H2X 0A9, Quebec, Canada
| | - Marta Massanella
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM and Department of Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, H2X 0A9, Quebec, Canada
| | - Antoine Ackaoui
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM and Department of Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, H2X 0A9, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ben Murrell
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden
| | - Bertrand Routy
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM and Department of Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, H2X 0A9, Quebec, Canada
| | - Réjean Thomas
- Clinique médicale l'Actuel, Montreal, H2L 4P9, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jean-Pierre Routy
- Division of Hematology & Chronic Viral Illness Service, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, H4A 3J1, Quebec, Canada
| | - Rémi Fromentin
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM and Department of Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, H2X 0A9, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nicolas Chomont
- Centre de Recherche du CHUM and Department of Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, H2X 0A9, Quebec, Canada.
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20
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Sun W, Gao C, Hartana CA, Osborn MR, Einkauf KB, Lian X, Bone B, Bonheur N, Chun TW, Rosenberg ES, Walker BD, Yu XG, Lichterfeld M. Phenotypic signatures of immune selection in HIV-1 reservoir cells. Nature 2023; 614:309-317. [PMID: 36599977 PMCID: PMC9908552 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05538-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) reservoir cells persist lifelong despite antiretroviral treatment1,2 but may be vulnerable to host immune responses that could be exploited in strategies to cure HIV-1. Here we used a single-cell, next-generation sequencing approach for the direct ex vivo phenotypic profiling of individual HIV-1-infected memory CD4+ T cells from peripheral blood and lymph nodes of people living with HIV-1 and receiving antiretroviral treatment for approximately 10 years. We demonstrate that in peripheral blood, cells harbouring genome-intact proviruses and large clones of virally infected cells frequently express ensemble signatures of surface markers conferring increased resistance to immune-mediated killing by cytotoxic T and natural killer cells, paired with elevated levels of expression of immune checkpoint markers likely to limit proviral gene transcription; this phenotypic profile might reduce HIV-1 reservoir cell exposure to and killing by cellular host immune responses. Viral reservoir cells harbouring intact HIV-1 from lymph nodes exhibited a phenotypic signature primarily characterized by upregulation of surface markers promoting cell survival, including CD44, CD28, CD127 and the IL-21 receptor. Together, these results suggest compartmentalized phenotypic signatures of immune selection in HIV-1 reservoir cells, implying that only small subsets of infected cells with optimal adaptation to their anatomical immune microenvironment are able to survive during long-term antiretroviral treatment. The identification of phenotypic markers distinguishing viral reservoir cells may inform future approaches for strategies to cure and eradicate HIV-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Sun
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ce Gao
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Kevin B Einkauf
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xiaodong Lian
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin Bone
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Tae-Wook Chun
- National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Eric S Rosenberg
- Infectious Disease Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bruce D Walker
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Sciences and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xu G Yu
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mathias Lichterfeld
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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21
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Kincer LP, Joseph SB, Gilleece MM, Hauser BM, Sizemore S, Zhou S, Di Germanio C, Zetterberg H, Fuchs D, Deeks SG, Spudich S, Gisslen M, Price RW, Swanstrom R. Rebound HIV-1 in cerebrospinal fluid after antiviral therapy interruption is mainly clonally amplified R5 T cell-tropic virus. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:260-271. [PMID: 36717718 PMCID: PMC10201410 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01306-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
HIV-1 persists as a latent reservoir in people receiving suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). When ART is interrupted (treatment interruption/TI), rebound virus re-initiates systemic infection in the lymphoid system. During TI, HIV-1 is also detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), although the source of this rebound virus is unknown. To investigate whether there is a distinct HIV-1 reservoir in the central nervous system (CNS), we compared rebound virus after TI in the blood and CSF of 11 participants. Peak rebound CSF viral loads vary and we show that high viral loads and the appearance of clonally amplified viral lineages in the CSF are correlated with the transient influx of white blood cells. We found no evidence of rebound macrophage-tropic virus in the CSF, even in one individual who had macrophage-tropic HIV-1 in the CSF pre-therapy. We propose a model in which R5 T cell-tropic virus is released from infected T cells that enter the CNS from the blood (or are resident in the CNS during therapy), with clonal amplification of infected T cells and virus replication occurring in the CNS during TI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura P Kincer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sarah Beth Joseph
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- UNC HIV Cure Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- UNC Center for AIDS Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Maria M Gilleece
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Biogen, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Blake M Hauser
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sabrina Sizemore
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Shuntai Zhou
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Clara Di Germanio
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, UK
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Dietmar Fuchs
- Division of Biological Chemistry, Biocenter, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Steven G Deeks
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Serena Spudich
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Magnus Gisslen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Department of Infectious Diseases, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Richard W Price
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ronald Swanstrom
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- UNC Center for AIDS Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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22
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Lambrechts L, Bonine N, Verstraeten R, Pardons M, Noppe Y, Rutsaert S, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Van Criekinge W, Cole B, Vandekerckhove L. HIV-PULSE: A long-read sequencing assay for high-throughput near full-length HIV-1 proviral genome characterization. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.18.524396. [PMID: 36711686 PMCID: PMC9882219 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.18.524396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
A deep understanding of the composition of the HIV-1 reservoir is necessary for the development of targeted therapies and the evaluation of curative efforts. However, current near full-length (NFL) HIV-1 proviral genome sequencing assays are based on labor-intensive and costly principles of repeated PCRs at limiting dilution, restricting their scalability. To address this, we developed a high-throughput, long-read sequencing assay called HIV-PULSE (HIV P roviral U MI-mediated L ong-read Se quencing). This assay uses unique molecular identifiers (UMIs) to tag individual HIV-1 genomes, allowing for the omission of the limiting dilution step and enabling long-range PCR amplification of many NFL genomes in a single PCR reaction, while simultaneously overcoming poor single-read accuracy. We optimized the assay using HIV-infected cell lines and then applied it to blood samples from 18 individuals living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy, yielding a total of 1,308 distinct HIV-1 genomes. Benchmarking against the widely applied Full-Length Individual Proviral Sequencing assay revealed similar sensitivity (11% vs 18%) and overall good concordance, though at a significantly higher throughput. In conclusion, HIV-PULSE is a cost-efficient and scalable assay that allows for the characterization of the HIV-1 proviral landscape, making it an attractive method to study the HIV-1 reservoir composition and dynamics.
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23
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Lian X, Seiger KW, Parsons EM, Gao C, Sun W, Gladkov GT, Roseto IC, Einkauf KB, Osborn MR, Chevalier JM, Jiang C, Blackmer J, Carrington M, Rosenberg ES, Lederman MM, McMahon DK, Bosch RJ, Jacobson JM, Gandhi RT, Peluso MJ, Chun TW, Deeks SG, Yu XG, Lichterfeld M. Progressive transformation of the HIV-1 reservoir cell profile over two decades of antiviral therapy. Cell Host Microbe 2023; 31:83-96.e5. [PMID: 36596305 PMCID: PMC9839361 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
HIV-1 establishes a life-long reservoir of virally infected cells which cannot be eliminated by antiretroviral therapy (ART). Here, we demonstrate a markedly altered viral reservoir profile of long-term ART-treated individuals, characterized by large clones of intact proviruses preferentially integrated in heterochromatin locations, most prominently in centromeric satellite/micro-satellite DNA. Longitudinal evaluations suggested that this specific reservoir configuration results from selection processes that promote the persistence of intact proviruses in repressive chromatin positions, while proviruses in permissive chromosomal locations are more likely to be eliminated. A bias toward chromosomal integration sites in heterochromatin locations was also observed for intact proviruses in study participants who maintained viral control after discontinuation of antiretroviral therapy. Together, these results raise the possibility that antiviral selection mechanisms during long-term ART may induce an HIV-1 reservoir structure with features of deep latency and, possibly, more limited abilities to drive rebound viremia upon treatment interruptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodong Lian
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Kyra W Seiger
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Parsons
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ce Gao
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Weiwei Sun
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Gregory T Gladkov
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Kevin B Einkauf
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Matthew R Osborn
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Joshua M Chevalier
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Chenyang Jiang
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jane Blackmer
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Mary Carrington
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21701, USA; Laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Eric S Rosenberg
- Infectious Disease Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | | | | | - Ronald J Bosch
- Center for Biostatistics in AIDS Research, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | | | - Rajesh T Gandhi
- Infectious Disease Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Michael J Peluso
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Tae-Wook Chun
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Steven G Deeks
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Xu G Yu
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Mathias Lichterfeld
- Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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24
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Fisher K, Schlub TE, Boyer Z, Rasmussen TA, Rhodes A, Hoh R, Hecht FM, Deeks SG, Lewin SR, Palmer S. Unequal distribution of genetically-intact HIV-1 proviruses in cells expressing the immune checkpoint markers PD-1 and/or CTLA-4. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1064346. [PMID: 36776833 PMCID: PMC9909745 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1064346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction HIV-1 persists in resting CD4+ T-cells despite antiretroviral therapy (ART). Determining the cell surface markers that enrich for genetically-intact HIV-1 genomes is vital in developing targeted curative strategies. Previous studies have found that HIV-1 proviral DNA is enriched in CD4+ T-cells expressing the immune checkpoint markers programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) or cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein-4 (CTLA-4). There has also been some success in blocking these markers in an effort to reverse HIV-1 latency. However, it remains unclear whether cells expressing PD-1 and/or CTLA-4 are enriched for genetically-intact, and potentially replication-competent, HIV-1 genomes. Methods We obtained peripheral blood from 16 HIV-1-infected participants, and paired lymph node from four of these participants, during effective ART. Memory CD4+ T-cells from either site were sorted into four populations: PD-1-CTLA-4- (double negative, DN), PD-1+CTLA-4- (PD-1+), PD-1-CTLA-4+ (CTLA-4+) and PD-1+CTLA-4+ (double positive, DP). We performed an exploratory study using the full-length individual proviral sequencing (FLIPS) assay to identify genetically-intact and defective genomes from each subset, as well as HIV-1 genomes with specific intact open reading frames (ORFs). Results and Discussion In peripheral blood, we observed that proviruses found within PD-1+ cells are more likely to have intact ORFs for genes such as tat, rev and nef compared to DN, CTLA-4+ and DP cells, all of which may contribute to HIV-1 persistence. Conversely, we observed that CTLA-4 expression is a marker for cells harbouring HIV-1 provirus that is more likely to be defective, containing low levels of these intact ORFs. In the lymph node, we found evidence that CTLA-4+ cells contain lower levels of HIV-1 provirus compared to the other cell subsets. Importantly, however, we observed significant participant variation in the enrichment of HIV-1 proviruses with intact genomes or specific intact ORFs across these memory CD4+ T-cell subsets, and therefore consideration of additional cellular markers will likely be needed to consistently identify cells harbouring latent, and potentially replication-competent, HIV-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Fisher
- Centre for Virus Research, The Westmead Institute of Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Timothy E Schlub
- Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Zoe Boyer
- Centre for Virus Research, The Westmead Institute of Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Thomas A Rasmussen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne at The Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ajantha Rhodes
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne at The Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Rebecca Hoh
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Frederick M Hecht
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Steven G Deeks
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Sharon R Lewin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne at The Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, Royal Melbourne Hospital at The Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sarah Palmer
- Centre for Virus Research, The Westmead Institute of Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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25
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Hendricks CM, Cash MN, Tagliamonte MS, Riva A, Brander C, Llano A, Salemi M, Stevenson M, Mavian C. Discordance between HIV-1 Population in Plasma at Rebound after Structured Treatment Interruption and Archived Provirus Population in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0135322. [PMID: 35699458 PMCID: PMC9431602 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01353-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can sustain the suppression of plasma viremia to below detection levels. Infected individuals undergoing a treatment interruption exhibit rapid viral rebound in plasma viremia which is fueled by cellular reservoirs such as CD4+ T cells, myeloid cells, and potentially uncharacterized cellular sources. Interrogating the populations of viruses found during analytical treatment interruption (ATI) can give insights into the biologically competent reservoirs that persist under effective ART as well as the nature of the cellular reservoirs that enable viral persistence under ART. We interrogated plasma viremia from four rare cases of individuals undergoing sequential ATIs. We performed next-generation sequencing (NGS) on cell-associated viral DNA and cell-free virus to understand the interrelationship between sequential ATIs as well as the relationship between viral genomes in circulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and RNA from rebound plasma. We observed population differences between viral populations recrudescing at sequential ATIs as well as divergence between viral sequences in plasma and those in PBMCs. This indicated that viruses in PBMCs were not a major source of post-ATI viremia and highlights the role of anatomic reservoirs in post-ATI viremia and viral persistence. IMPORTANCE Even with effective ART, HIV-1 persists at undetectable levels and rebounds in individuals who stop treatment. Cellular and anatomical reservoirs ignite viral rebound upon treatment interruption, remaining one of the key obstacles for HIV-1 cure. To further examine HIV-1 persistence, a better understanding of the distinct populations that fuel viral rebound is necessary to identify and target reservoirs and the eradication of HIV-1. This study investigates the populations of viruses found from proviral genomes from PBMCs and plasma at rebound from a unique cohort of individuals who underwent multiple rounds of treatment interruption. Using NGS, we characterized the subtypes of viral sequences and found divergence in viral populations between plasma and PBMCs at each rebound, suggesting that distinct viral populations appear at each treatment interruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chynna M. Hendricks
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Melanie N. Cash
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Massimiliano S. Tagliamonte
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Alberto Riva
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | | | - Anuska Llano
- Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Marco Salemi
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Mario Stevenson
- Department of Medicine, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Carla Mavian
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Department of Pathology, Immunology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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26
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Lichterfeld M, Gao C, Yu XG. An ordeal that does not heal: understanding barriers to a cure for HIV-1 infection. Trends Immunol 2022; 43:608-616. [PMID: 35905706 PMCID: PMC9346997 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2022.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
With more than 38 million people living with HIV-1 (PLWH) worldwide, developing a cure for HIV-1 remains a major global health priority. Lifelong persistence of HIV-1 is frequently attributed to a pool of stable, transcriptionally silent HIV-1 proviruses, which are unaffected by currently available antiretroviral therapy (ART) or host immune activity. In this opinion article, we propose a more dynamic interpretation of HIV-1 reservoir cell biology and argue that HIV-1 proviruses frequently display residual viral transcriptional activity, making them vulnerable to longitudinal immune-mediated selection processes. Such mechanisms may, over extended periods of ART, induce an attenuated viral reservoir profile characterized by intact proviruses preferentially integrated into heterochromatin locations. We suggest that intensifying and accelerating naturally occurring selection mechanisms might represent a promising strategy for finding a potential cure for HIV-1 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Lichterfeld
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Ce Gao
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Xu G Yu
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Infectious Disease Division, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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27
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Quantitative Evaluation of Very Low Levels of HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase by a Novel Highly Sensitive RT-qPCR Assay. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12081130. [PMID: 36013309 PMCID: PMC9410348 DOI: 10.3390/life12081130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Based on previous experience in our laboratory, we developed a real-time reverse transcriptase (RT) quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assay for the assessment of very low levels of HIV-1 RT activity. The RNA, acting as a template for reverse transcription into cDNA by HIV-1 RT, consisted of a synthetic RNA ad hoc generated by in vitro transcription and included a coding sequence for HSV-1 gD (gD-RNA-synt). Different conditions of variables involved in the RT-qPCR reaction, notably different amounts of gD-RNA-synt, different mixes of the reaction buffer, and different dNTP concentrations, were tested to optimize the assay. The results indicated that the gD-RNA-synt-based RT assay, in its optimized formulation, could detect a specific cDNA reverse transcription even in the presence of 1 × 10-9 U of HIV RT. This achievement greatly improved the sensitivity of the assay over previous versions. In summary, this constructed RT-qPCR assay may be considered a promising tool for providing accurate information on very low HIV-1 RT activity.
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28
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Single-cell multiomics reveals persistence of HIV-1 in expanded cytotoxic T cell clones. Immunity 2022; 55:1013-1031.e7. [PMID: 35320704 PMCID: PMC9203927 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2022.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the drivers and markers of clonally expanding HIV-1-infected CD4+ T cells is essential for HIV-1 eradication. We used single-cell ECCITE-seq, which captures surface protein expression, cellular transcriptome, HIV-1 RNA, and TCR sequences within the same single cell to track clonal expansion dynamics in longitudinally archived samples from six HIV-1-infected individuals (during viremia and after suppressive antiretroviral therapy) and two uninfected individuals, in unstimulated conditions and after CMV and HIV-1 antigen stimulation. Despite antiretroviral therapy, persistent antigen and TNF responses shaped T cell clonal expansion. HIV-1 resided in Th1-polarized, antigen-responding T cells expressing BCL2 and SERPINB9 that may resist cell death. HIV-1 RNA+ T cell clones were larger in clone size, established during viremia, persistent after viral suppression, and enriched in GZMB+ cytotoxic effector memory Th1 cells. Targeting HIV-1-infected cytotoxic CD4+ T cells and drivers of clonal expansion provides another direction for HIV-1 eradication.
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29
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Extensive characterization of HIV-1 reservoirs reveals links to plasma viremia before and during analytical treatment interruption. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110739. [PMID: 35476994 PMCID: PMC9745684 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The HIV-1 reservoir is composed of cells harboring latent proviruses that have the potential to contribute to viremia upon antiretroviral treatment (ART) interruption. While this reservoir is known to be maintained by clonal expansion of infected cells, the contribution of these cell clones to residual viremia and viral rebound remains underexplored. Here, we conducted an extensive analysis on four ART-treated individuals who underwent an analytical treatment interruption (ATI), characterizing the proviral genomes and associated integration sites of large infected clones and phylogenetically linking these to plasma viremia. We show discrepancies between different assays in their ability to assess clonal expansion. Furthermore, we demonstrate that proviruses could phylogenetically be linked to plasma virus obtained before or during an ATI. This study highlights a role for HIV-infected cell clones in the maintenance of the replication-competent reservoir and suggests that infected cell clones can directly contribute to rebound viremia upon ATI.
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Duette G, Hiener B, Morgan H, Mazur FG, Mathivanan V, Horsburgh BA, Fisher K, Tong O, Lee E, Ahn H, Shaik A, Fromentin R, Hoh R, Bacchus-Souffan C, Nasr N, Cunningham AL, Hunt PW, Chomont N, Turville SG, Deeks SG, Kelleher AD, Schlub TE, Palmer S. The HIV-1 proviral landscape reveals that Nef contributes to HIV-1 persistence in effector memory CD4+ T cells. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:154422. [PMID: 35133986 PMCID: PMC8970682 DOI: 10.1172/jci154422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV-1 persists within a reservoir of CD4+ T cells that contribute to viral rebound if treatment is interrupted. Identifying the cellular populations that contribute to the HIV-1 reservoir and understanding the mechanisms of viral persistence are necessary to achieve an effective cure. In this regard, through Full-Length Individual Proviral Sequencing, we observed that the HIV-1 proviral landscape was different and changed with time on ART across naive and memory CD4+ T cell subsets isolated from 24 participants. We found that the proportion of genetically intact HIV-1 proviruses was higher and persisted over time in effector memory CD4+ T cells when compared with naive, central, and transitional memory CD4+ T cells. Interestingly, we found that escape mutations remained stable over time within effector memory T cells during therapy. Finally, we provided evidence that Nef plays a role in the persistence of genetically intact HIV-1. These findings posit effector memory T cells as a key component of the HIV-1 reservoir and suggest Nef as an attractive therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Duette
- Centre for Virus Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bonnie Hiener
- Centre for Virus Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Hannah Morgan
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Fernando G. Mazur
- Post-graduation Program of Evolutionary Genetics and Molecular Biology, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Vennila Mathivanan
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Bethany A. Horsburgh
- Centre for Virus Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katie Fisher
- Centre for Virus Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Orion Tong
- Centre for Virus Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Eunok Lee
- Centre for Virus Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Haelee Ahn
- Division of Experimental Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ansari Shaik
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rémi Fromentin
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Rebecca Hoh
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Charline Bacchus-Souffan
- Division of Experimental Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Najla Nasr
- Centre for Virus Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Anthony L. Cunningham
- Centre for Virus Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Peter W. Hunt
- Division of Experimental Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Nicolas Chomont
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Microbiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Stuart G. Turville
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Steven G. Deeks
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Anthony D. Kelleher
- The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Timothy E. Schlub
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sarah Palmer
- Centre for Virus Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Oriol-Tordera B, Esteve-Codina A, Berdasco M, Rosás-Umbert M, Gonçalves E, Duran-Castells C, Català-Moll F, Llano A, Cedeño S, Puertas MC, Tolstrup M, Søgaard OS, Clotet B, Martínez-Picado J, Hanke T, Combadiere B, Paredes R, Hartigan-O'Connor D, Esteller M, Meulbroek M, Calle ML, Sanchez-Pla A, Moltó J, Mothe B, Brander C, Ruiz-Riol M. Epigenetic landscape in the kick-and-kill therapeutic vaccine BCN02 clinical trial is associated with antiretroviral treatment interruption (ATI) outcome. EBioMedicine 2022; 78:103956. [PMID: 35325780 PMCID: PMC8938861 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.103956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The BCN02-trial combined therapeutic vaccination with a viral latency reversing agent (romidepsin, RMD) in HIV-1-infected individuals and included a monitored antiretroviral pause (MAP) as an efficacy read-out identifying individuals with an early or late (< or > 4weeks) viral-rebound. Integrated -omics analyses were applied prior treatment interruption to identify markers of virus control during MAP. METHODS PBMC, whole-genome DNA methylation and transcriptomics were assessed in 14 BCN02 participants, including 8 Early and 4 Late viral-rebound individuals. Chromatin state, histone marks and integration analysis (histone-3 acetylation (H3Ac), viral load, proviral levels and HIV-specific T cells responses) were included. REDUC-trial samples (n = 5) were included as a control group for RMD administration alone. FINDINGS DNA methylation imprints after receiving the complete intervention discriminated Early versus Late viral-rebound individuals before MAP. Also, differential chromatin accessibility and histone marks at DNA methylation level were detected. Importantly, the differential DNA methylation positions (DMPs) between Early and Late rebounders before MAP were strongly associated with viral load, proviral levels as well as the HIV-specific T-cell responses. Most of these DMPs were already present prior to the intervention and accentuated after RMD infusion. INTERPRETATION This study identifies host DNA methylation profiles and epigenetic cascades that are predictive of subsequent virus control in a kick-and-kill HIV cure strategy. FUNDING European Union Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation under Grant Agreement N°681137-EAVI2020 and N°847943-MISTRAL, the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (SAF2017_89726_R), and the National Institutes of Health-National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Program Grant P01-AI131568.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruna Oriol-Tordera
- IrsiCaixa, AIDS Research Institute, Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 2nd floor, Ctra del canyet s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain; Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, de Fisiologia i d'Immunologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Av. de Can Domènech 737, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona 08193, Spain
| | - Anna Esteve-Codina
- Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG), Barcelona Science Park - Tower I, Carrer de Baldiri Reixac 4, Barcelona 08028, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Plaça de la Mercè 10-12, Barcelona 08002, Spain
| | - María Berdasco
- Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBC), Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Vinguda de la Granvia de l'Hospitalet 199, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona 08907, Spain; Epigenetic Therapies Group, Experimental and Clinical Hematology Program (PHEC), Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Ctra de Can Ruti - Camí de les Escoles, s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain
| | - Míriam Rosás-Umbert
- IrsiCaixa, AIDS Research Institute, Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 2nd floor, Ctra del canyet s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain; Department of Clinical Medicine - Department of Infectious Disease, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, East Jutland, Aarhus 8200, Denmark
| | - Elena Gonçalves
- Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses - Paris (Cimi-Paris), INSERM U1135, Sorbonne Université, Bd de l'Hôpital 91, Paris, Île de France 75013, France
| | - Clara Duran-Castells
- IrsiCaixa, AIDS Research Institute, Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 2nd floor, Ctra del canyet s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain; Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, de Fisiologia i d'Immunologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Av. de Can Domènech 737, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona 08193, Spain
| | - Francesc Català-Moll
- IrsiCaixa, AIDS Research Institute, Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 2nd floor, Ctra del canyet s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain
| | - Anuska Llano
- IrsiCaixa, AIDS Research Institute, Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 2nd floor, Ctra del canyet s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain
| | - Samandhy Cedeño
- IrsiCaixa, AIDS Research Institute, Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 2nd floor, Ctra del canyet s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain
| | - Maria C Puertas
- IrsiCaixa, AIDS Research Institute, Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 2nd floor, Ctra del canyet s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain; CIBERINFEC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Martin Tolstrup
- Department of Clinical Medicine - Department of Infectious Disease, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, East Jutland, Aarhus 8200, Denmark
| | - Ole S Søgaard
- Department of Clinical Medicine - Department of Infectious Disease, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 99, East Jutland, Aarhus 8200, Denmark
| | - Bonaventura Clotet
- IrsiCaixa, AIDS Research Institute, Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 2nd floor, Ctra del canyet s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain; CIBERINFEC, Madrid, Spain; Fundació Lluita contra la Sida, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra del Canyet s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain; Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic - UCC), Carrer Miquel Martí i Pol, 1, Vic, Barcelona 08500, Spain
| | - Javier Martínez-Picado
- IrsiCaixa, AIDS Research Institute, Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 2nd floor, Ctra del canyet s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain; CIBERINFEC, Madrid, Spain; Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic - UCC), Carrer Miquel Martí i Pol, 1, Vic, Barcelona 08500, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig de Lluís Companys, 23, Barcelona 08010, Spain
| | - Tomáš Hanke
- The Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Build, Roosevelt Dr, Headington, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX3 7DQ, UK; Joint Research Center for Human Retrovirus Infection, Kumamoto University, Honjo 2-2-1, Kumamoto City, Chuo-ku 860-0811, Japan
| | - Behazine Combadiere
- Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses - Paris (Cimi-Paris), INSERM U1135, Sorbonne Université, Bd de l'Hôpital 91, Paris, Île de France 75013, France
| | - Roger Paredes
- IrsiCaixa, AIDS Research Institute, Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 2nd floor, Ctra del canyet s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain; CIBERINFEC, Madrid, Spain; Fundació Lluita contra la Sida, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra del Canyet s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain; Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic - UCC), Carrer Miquel Martí i Pol, 1, Vic, Barcelona 08500, Spain
| | - Dennis Hartigan-O'Connor
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Veterinary Medicine 3A, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Division of Experimental Medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine, 4610 X Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Manel Esteller
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig de Lluís Companys, 23, Barcelona 08010, Spain; Cancer and Leukemia Epigenetics and Biology Program (PEBCL), Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Ctra de Can Ruti - Camí de les Escoles, s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain; Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Cancer (CIBERONC), Av. Monforte de Lemos 3-5. Pabellón 11. Planta 0, Madrid 28029, Spain; Department of Physiological Sciences II, School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Feixa Llarga, s/n, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona 08907, Spain
| | - Michael Meulbroek
- Projecte dels NOMS-Hispanosida, BCN Checkpoint, Carrer del Comte Borrell, 164-166, Barcelona 08015, Spain
| | - María Luz Calle
- Biosciences Department, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia, Carrer de la Laura 13 - Torre dels Frares, Vic, Barcelona 08500, Spain
| | - Alex Sanchez-Pla
- Statistics Department, Biology Faculty, University of Barcelona, Diagonal 643, Barcelona 08028, Spain; Statistics and Bioinformatics Unit Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Passeig de la Vall d'Hebron, 129, Barcelona 08035, Spain
| | - José Moltó
- CIBERINFEC, Madrid, Spain; Fundació Lluita contra la Sida, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra del Canyet s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain
| | - Beatriz Mothe
- IrsiCaixa, AIDS Research Institute, Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 2nd floor, Ctra del canyet s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain; CIBERINFEC, Madrid, Spain; Fundació Lluita contra la Sida, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra del Canyet s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain; Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic - UCC), Carrer Miquel Martí i Pol, 1, Vic, Barcelona 08500, Spain
| | - Christian Brander
- IrsiCaixa, AIDS Research Institute, Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 2nd floor, Ctra del canyet s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain; Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic - UCC), Carrer Miquel Martí i Pol, 1, Vic, Barcelona 08500, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig de Lluís Companys, 23, Barcelona 08010, Spain
| | - Marta Ruiz-Riol
- IrsiCaixa, AIDS Research Institute, Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, 2nd floor, Ctra del canyet s/n, Badalona, Barcelona 08916, Spain; CIBERINFEC, Madrid, Spain.
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Abstract
Genetically-characterizing full-length HIV-1 RNA is critical for identifying genetically-intact genomes and for comparing these RNA genomes to proviral DNA. We have developed a method for sequencing plasma-derived RNA using long-range sequencing (PRLS assay; ∼8.3 kb from gag to the 3′ end or ∼5 kb from integrase to the 3′ end). We employed the gag-3′ PRLS assay to sequence HIV-1 RNA genomes from ART-naive participants during acute/early infection (n = 6) or chronic infection (n = 2). On average, only 65% of plasma-derived genomes were genetically-intact. Defects were found in all genomic regions but were concentrated in env and pol. We compared these genomes to near-full-length proviral sequences from paired peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples for the acute/early group and found that near-identical (>99.98% identical) sequences were identified only during acute infection. For three participants who initiated therapy during acute infection, we used the int-3′ PRLS assay to sequence plasma-derived genomes from an analytical treatment interruption and identified 100% identical genomes between pretherapy and rebound time points. The PRLS assay provides a new level of sensitivity for understanding the genetic composition of plasma-derived HIV-1 RNA from viremic individuals either pretherapy or after treatment interruption, which will be invaluable in assessing possible HIV-1 curative strategies. IMPORTANCE We developed novel plasma-derived RNA using long-range sequencing assays (PRLS assay; 8.3 kb, gag-3′, and 5.0 kb, int-3′). Employing the gag-3′ PRLS assay, we found that 26% to 51% of plasma-derived genomes are genetically-defective, largely as a result of frameshift mutations and deletions. These genetic defects were concentrated in the env region compared to gag and pol, likely a reflection of viral immune escape in env during untreated HIV-1 infection. Employing the int-3′ PRLS assay, we found that analytical treatment interruption (ATI) plasma-derived sequences were identical and genetically-intact. Several sequences from the ATI plasma samples were identical to viral sequences from pretherapy plasma and PBMC samples, indicating that HIV-1 reservoirs established prior to therapy contribute to viral rebound during an ATI. Therefore, near-full-length sequencing of HIV-1 particles is required to gain an accurate picture of the genetic landscape of plasma HIV-1 virions in studies of HIV-1 replication and persistence.
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Longitudinal clonal dynamics of HIV-1 latent reservoirs measured by combination quadruplex polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2117630119. [PMID: 35042816 PMCID: PMC8794825 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2117630119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 infection produces a long-lived reservoir of latently infected CD4+ T cells that represents the major barrier to HIV-1 cure. The reservoir contains both intact and defective proviruses, but only the proviruses that are intact can reinitiate infection upon cessation of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Here we combine four-color quantitative PCR and next-generation sequencing (Q4PCR) to distinguish intact and defective proviruses and measure reservoir content longitudinally in 12 infected individuals. Q4PCR differs from other PCR-based methods in that the amplified proviruses are sequence verified as intact or defective. Samples were collected systematically over the course of up to 10 y beginning shortly after the initiation of ART. The size of the defective reservoir was relatively stable with minimal decay during the 10-y observation period. In contrast, the intact proviral reservoir decayed with an estimated half-life of 4.9 y. Nevertheless, both intact and defective proviral reservoirs are dynamic. As a result, the fraction of intact proviruses found in expanded clones of CD4+ T cells increases over time with a concomitant decrease in overall reservoir complexity. Thus, reservoir decay measurements by Q4PCR are quantitatively similar to viral outgrowth assay (VOA) and intact proviral DNA PCR assay (IPDA) with the addition of sequence information that distinguishes intact and defective proviruses and informs reservoir dynamics. The data are consistent with the notion that intact and defective proviruses are under distinct selective pressure, and that the intact proviral reservoir is progressively enriched in expanded clones of CD4+ T cells resulting in diminishing complexity over time.
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Parallel analysis of transcription, integration, and sequence of single HIV-1 proviruses. Cell 2022; 185:266-282.e15. [PMID: 35026153 PMCID: PMC8809251 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
HIV-1-infected cells that persist despite antiretroviral therapy (ART) are frequently considered "transcriptionally silent," but active viral gene expression may occur in some cells, challenging the concept of viral latency. Applying an assay for profiling the transcriptional activity and the chromosomal locations of individual proviruses, we describe a global genomic and epigenetic map of transcriptionally active and silent proviral species and evaluate their longitudinal evolution in persons receiving suppressive ART. Using genome-wide epigenetic reference data, we show that proviral transcriptional activity is associated with activating epigenetic chromatin features in linear proximity of integration sites and in their inter- and intrachromosomal contact regions. Transcriptionally active proviruses were actively selected against during prolonged ART; however, this pattern was violated by large clones of virally infected cells that may outcompete negative selection forces through elevated intrinsic proliferative activity. Our results suggest that transcriptionally active proviruses are dynamically evolving under selection pressure by host factors.
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New Approaches to Multi-Parametric HIV-1 Genetics Using Multiple Displacement Amplification: Determining the What, How, and Where of the HIV-1 Reservoir. Viruses 2021; 13:v13122475. [PMID: 34960744 PMCID: PMC8709494 DOI: 10.3390/v13122475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of potential HIV-1 curative interventions requires accurate characterization of the proviral reservoir, defined as host-integrated viral DNA genomes that drive rebound of viremia upon halting ART (antiretroviral therapy). Evaluation of such interventions necessitates methods capable of pinpointing the rare, genetically intact, replication-competent proviruses within a background of defective proviruses. This evaluation can be achieved by identifying the distinct integration sites of intact proviruses within host genomes and monitoring the dynamics of these proviruses and host cell lineages over longitudinal sampling. Until recently, molecular genetic approaches at the single proviral level have been generally limited to one of a few metrics, such as proviral genome sequence/intactness, host-proviral integration site, or replication competency. New approaches, taking advantage of MDA (multiple displacement amplification) for WGA (whole genome amplification), have enabled multiparametric proviral characterization at the single-genome level, including proviral genome sequence, host-proviral integration site, and phenotypic characterization of the host cell lineage, such as CD4 memory subset and antigen specificity. In this review, we will examine the workflow of MDA-augmented molecular genetic approaches to study the HIV-1 reservoir, highlighting technical advantages and flexibility. We focus on a collection of recent studies in which investigators have used these approaches to comprehensively characterize intact and defective proviruses from donors on ART, investigate mechanisms of elite control, and define cell lineage identity and antigen specificity of infected CD4+ T cell clones. The highlighted studies exemplify how these approaches and their future iterations will be key in defining the targets and evaluating the impacts of HIV curative interventions.
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Emerging Single-cell Approaches to Understand HIV in the Central Nervous System. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 2021; 19:113-120. [PMID: 34822063 PMCID: PMC8613726 DOI: 10.1007/s11904-021-00586-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of Review This review highlights emerging single-cell sequencing methods relevant to translational studies of HIV in the central nervous system (CNS), summarizes limited single-cell studies of HIV in the CNS, and discusses opportunities for future HIV translational CNS studies. Recent Findings Innovative methods utilizing single-cell technologies have advanced the study of genomes, proteomes, transcriptomes, and epigenomes at an enhanced resolution and depth. Single-cell analyses of central nervous system tissue, including autopsy brain and CSF cells, may shed light on CNS perturbations in people living with HIV. New strategies can distinguish distinct molecular identifies of rare infected cells at single-cell level, suggesting an opportunity to uncloak the molecular identity of hidden HIV in the CNS reservoir. Summary Adoption of multimodal “omics” analyses to translational HIV studies and tissue compartments beyond blood will be critical to advancing our understanding of viral establishment, persistence, and eradication.
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Coffin JM, Hughes SH. Clonal Expansion of Infected CD4+ T Cells in People Living with HIV. Viruses 2021; 13:v13102078. [PMID: 34696507 PMCID: PMC8537114 DOI: 10.3390/v13102078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV infection is not curable with current antiretroviral therapy (ART) because a small fraction of CD4+ T cells infected prior to ART initiation persists. Understanding the nature of this latent reservoir and how it is created is essential to development of potentially curative strategies. The discovery that a large fraction of the persistently infected cells in individuals on suppressive ART are members of large clones greatly changed our view of the reservoir and how it arises. Rather than being the products of infection of resting cells, as was once thought, HIV persistence is largely or entirely a consequence of infection of cells that are either expanding or are destined to expand, primarily due to antigen-driven activation. Although most of the clones carry defective proviruses, some carry intact infectious proviruses; these clones comprise the majority of the reservoir. A large majority of both the defective and the intact infectious proviruses in clones of infected cells are transcriptionally silent; however, a small fraction expresses a few copies of unspliced HIV RNA. A much smaller fraction is responsible for production of low levels of infectious virus, which can rekindle infection when ART is stopped. Further understanding of the reservoir will be needed to clarify the mechanism(s) by which provirus expression is controlled in the clones of cells that constitute the reservoir.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M. Coffin
- Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA;
| | - Stephen H. Hughes
- HIV Dynamics and Replication Program, National Cancer Institute in Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
- Correspondence:
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Lee GQ. Chemistry and Bioinformatics Considerations in Using Next-Generation Sequencing Technologies to Inferring HIV Proviral DNA Genome-Intactness. Viruses 2021; 13:1874. [PMID: 34578455 PMCID: PMC8473067 DOI: 10.3390/v13091874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV persists via integration of the viral DNA into the human genome. The HIV DNA pool within an infected individual is a complex population that comprises both intact and defective viral genomes, each with a distinct integration site, in addition to a unique repertoire of viral quasi-species. Obtaining an accurate profile of the viral DNA pool is critical to understanding viral persistence and resolving interhost differences. Recent advances in next-generation deep sequencing (NGS) technologies have enabled the development of two sequencing assays to capture viral near-full- genome sequences at single molecule resolution (FLIP-seq) or to co-capture full-length viral genome sequences in conjunction with its associated viral integration site (MIP-seq). This commentary aims to provide an overview on both FLIP-seq and MIP-seq, discuss their strengths and limitations, and outline specific chemistry and bioinformatics concerns when using these assays to study HIV persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guinevere Q Lee
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA
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Yeh YHJ, Yang K, Razmi A, Ho YC. The Clonal Expansion Dynamics of the HIV-1 Reservoir: Mechanisms of Integration Site-Dependent Proliferation and HIV-1 Persistence. Viruses 2021; 13:1858. [PMID: 34578439 PMCID: PMC8473165 DOI: 10.3390/v13091858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
More than 50% of the HIV-1 latent reservoir is maintained by clonal expansion. The clonally expanded HIV-1-infected cells can contribute to persistent nonsuppressible low-level viremia and viral rebound. HIV-1 integration site and proviral genome landscape profiling reveals the clonal expansion dynamics of HIV-1-infected cells. In individuals under long-term suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV-1 integration sites are enriched in specific locations in certain cancer-related genes in the same orientation as the host transcription unit. Single-cell transcriptome analysis revealed that HIV-1 drives aberrant cancer-related gene expression through HIV-1-to-host RNA splicing. Furthermore, the HIV-1 promoter dominates over the host gene promoter and drives high levels of cancer-related gene expression. When HIV-1 integrates into cancer-related genes and causes gain of function of oncogenes or loss of function of tumor suppressor genes, HIV-1 insertional mutagenesis drives the proliferation of HIV-1-infected cells and may cause cancer in rare cases. HIV-1-driven aberrant cancer-related gene expression at the integration site can be suppressed by CRISPR-mediated inhibition of the HIV-1 promoter or by HIV-1 suppressing agents. Given that ART does not suppress HIV-1 promoter activity, therapeutic agents that suppress HIV-1 transcription and halt the clonal expansion of HIV-1-infected cells should be explored to block the clonal expansion of the HIV-1 latent reservoir.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ya-Chi Ho
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA; (Y.-H.J.Y.); (K.Y.); (A.R.)
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