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Buchholtz NVEJ, Nühn MM, de Jong TCM, Stienstra TAT, Reddy K, Ndung'u T, Ndhlovu ZM, Fisher K, Palmer S, Wensing AMJ, Symons J, Nijhuis M. Development of a highly sensitive and specific intact proviral DNA assay for HIV-1 subtype B and C. Virol J 2024; 21:36. [PMID: 38297379 PMCID: PMC10832250 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-024-02300-6] [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: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION HIV reservoir quantification is essential for evaluation of HIV curative strategies and may provide valuable insights about reservoir dynamics during antiretroviral therapy. The Intact Proviral DNA Assay (IPDA) provides the unique opportunity to quantify the intact and defective reservoir. The current IPDA is optimized for HIV-1 subtype B, the dominant subtype in resource-rich settings. However, subtype C is dominant in Sub-Saharan Africa, jointly accounting for around 60% of the pandemic. We developed an assay capable of quantifying intact and defective proviral HIV-1 DNA of subtype B and C. METHODS Primer and probe sequences were strategically positioned at conserved regions in psi and env and adapted to subtype B&C. In silico analysis of 752 subtype B and 697 subtype C near-full length genome sequences (nFGS) was performed to predict the specificity and sensitivity. Gblocks were used to determine the limit of blank (LoB), limit of detection (LoD), and different annealing temperatures were tested to address impact of sequence variability. RESULTS The in silico analysis showed that the HIV-1 B&C IPDA correctly identified 100% of the intact subtype B, and 86% of the subtype C sequences. In contrast, the original IPDA identified 86% and 12% of these subtype B and C sequences as intact. Furthermore, the HIV-1 B&C IPDA correctly identified hypermutated (87% and 88%) and other defective sequences (73% and 66%) for subtype B and C with comparable specificity as the original IPDA for subtype B (59% and 63%). Subtype B cis-acting sequences were more frequently identified as intact by the HIV-1 B&C IPDA compared to the original IPDA (39% and 2%). The LoB for intact proviral DNA copies was 0, and the LoD for intact proviral DNA copies was 6 (> 95% certainty) at 60 °C. Quantification of 2-6 copies can be performed with > 80% certainty. Lowering the annealing temperature to 55 °C slightly lowered the specificity but prevented exclusion of samples with single mutations in the primer/probe region. CONCLUSIONS We developed a robust and sensitive assay for the quantification of intact and defective HIV-1 subtype B and C proviral DNA, making this a suitable tool to monitor the impact of (large-scale) curative interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- N V E J Buchholtz
- Translational Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584C, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - M M Nühn
- Translational Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584C, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - T C M de Jong
- Translational Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584C, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - T A T Stienstra
- Translational Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584C, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - K Reddy
- Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), Durban, South Africa
| | - T Ndung'u
- Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), Durban, South Africa
- HIV Pathogenesis Programme, The Doris Duke Medical Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 01238, USA
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK
| | - Z M Ndhlovu
- Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), Durban, South Africa
| | - K Fisher
- Centre for Virus Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - S Palmer
- Centre for Virus Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - A M J Wensing
- Translational Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584C, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- ha, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - J Symons
- Translational Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584C, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - M Nijhuis
- Translational Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584C, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- HIV Pathogenesis Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
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2
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Kinloch NN, Shahid A, Dong W, Kirkby D, Jones BR, Beelen CJ, MacMillan D, Lee GQ, Mota TM, Sudderuddin H, Barad E, Harris M, Brumme CJ, Jones RB, Brockman MA, Joy JB, Brumme ZL. HIV reservoirs are dominated by genetically younger and clonally enriched proviruses. mBio 2023; 14:e0241723. [PMID: 37971267 PMCID: PMC10746175 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02417-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Characterizing the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reservoir that endures despite antiretroviral therapy (ART) is critical to cure efforts. We observed that the oldest proviruses persisting during ART were exclusively defective, while intact proviruses (and rebound HIV) dated to nearer ART initiation. This helps explain why studies that sampled sub-genomic proviruses on-ART (which are largely defective) routinely found sequences dating to early infection, whereas those that sampled replication-competent HIV found almost none. Together with our findings that intact proviruses were more likely to be clonal, and that on-ART low-level/isolated viremia originated from proviruses of varying ages (including possibly defective ones), our observations indicate that (i) on-ART and rebound viremia can have distinct within-host origins, (ii) intact proviruses have shorter lifespans than grossly defective ones and thus depend more heavily on clonal expansion for persistence, and (iii) an HIV reservoir predominantly "dating" to near ART initiation will be substantially adapted to within-host pressures, complicating immune-based cure strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie N. Kinloch
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Aniqa Shahid
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Winnie Dong
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Don Kirkby
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Bradley R. Jones
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Bioinformatics Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Charlotte J. Beelen
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Daniel MacMillan
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Guinevere Q. Lee
- Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Talia M. Mota
- Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Hanwei Sudderuddin
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Experimental Medicine Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Evan Barad
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Marianne Harris
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Chanson J. Brumme
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - R. Brad Jones
- Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mark A. Brockman
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jeffrey B. Joy
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Bioinformatics Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Zabrina L. Brumme
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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3
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Reeves DB, Bacchus-Souffan C, Fitch M, Abdel-Mohsen M, Hoh R, Ahn H, Stone M, Hecht F, Martin J, Deeks SG, Hellerstein MK, McCune JM, Schiffer JT, Hunt PW. Estimating the contribution of CD4 T cell subset proliferation and differentiation to HIV persistence. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6145. [PMID: 37783718 PMCID: PMC10545742 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41521-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Persistence of HIV in people living with HIV (PWH) on suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been linked to physiological mechanisms of CD4+ T cells. Here, in the same 37 male PWH on ART we measure longitudinal kinetics of HIV DNA and cell turnover rates in five CD4 cell subsets: naïve (TN), stem-cell- (TSCM), central- (TCM), transitional- (TTM), and effector-memory (TEM). HIV decreases in TTM and TEM but not in less-differentiated subsets. Cell turnover is ~10 times faster than HIV clearance in memory subsets, implying that cellular proliferation consistently creates HIV DNA. The optimal mathematical model for these integrated data sets posits HIV DNA also passages between CD4 cell subsets via cellular differentiation. Estimates are heterogeneous, but in an average participant's year ~10 (in TN and TSCM) and ~104 (in TCM, TTM, TEM) proviruses are generated by proliferation while ~103 proviruses passage via cell differentiation (per million CD4). In simulations, therapies blocking proliferation and/or enhancing differentiation could reduce HIV DNA by 1-2 logs over 3 years. In summary, HIV exploits cellular proliferation and differentiation to persist during ART but clears faster in more proliferative/differentiated CD4 cell subsets and the same physiological mechanisms sustaining HIV might be temporarily modified to reduce it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B Reeves
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
| | | | - Mark Fitch
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, University Avenue and Oxford St, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | | | - Rebecca Hoh
- Department of Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, 1001 Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94100, USA
| | - Haelee Ahn
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 1001 Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94100, USA
| | - Mars Stone
- Vitalant Research Institute, 360 Spear St Suite 200, San Francisco, CA, 94105, USA
| | - Frederick Hecht
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 1001 Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94100, USA
| | - Jeffrey Martin
- Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, 550 16th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Steven G Deeks
- Department of Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, 1001 Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94100, USA
| | - Marc K Hellerstein
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, University Avenue and Oxford St, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Joseph M McCune
- HIV Frontiers, Global Health Accelerator, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 500 5th Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Joshua T Schiffer
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Department of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Peter W Hunt
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 1001 Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94100, USA
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4
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Kinloch NN, Shahid A, Dong W, Kirkby D, Jones BR, Beelen CJ, MacMillan D, Lee GQ, Mota TM, Sudderuddin H, Barad E, Harris M, Brumme CJ, Jones RB, Brockman MA, Joy JB, Brumme ZL. HIV reservoirs are dominated by genetically younger and clonally enriched proviruses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.12.536611. [PMID: 37090500 PMCID: PMC10120704 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.12.536611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
In order to cure HIV, we need to better understand the within-host evolutionary origins of the small reservoir of genome-intact proviruses that persists within infected cells during antiretroviral therapy (ART). Most prior studies on reservoir evolutionary dynamics however did not discriminate genome-intact proviruses from the vast background of defective ones. We reconstructed within-host pre-ART HIV evolutionary histories in six individuals and leveraged this information to infer the ages of intact and defective proviruses sampled after an average >9 years on ART, along with the ages of rebound and low-level/isolated viremia occurring during this time. We observed that the longest-lived proviruses persisting on ART were exclusively defective, usually due to large deletions. In contrast, intact proviruses and rebound HIV exclusively dated to the years immediately preceding ART. These observations are consistent with genome-intact proviruses having shorter lifespans, likely due to the cumulative risk of elimination following viral reactivation and protein production. Consistent with this, intact proviruses (and those with packaging signal defects) were three times more likely to be genetically identical compared to other proviral types, highlighting clonal expansion as particularly important in ensuring their survival. By contrast, low-level/isolated viremia sequences were genetically heterogeneous and sometimes ancestral, where viremia may have originated from defective proviruses. Results reveal that the HIV reservoir is dominated by clonally-enriched and genetically younger sequences that date to the untreated infection period when viral populations had been under within-host selection pressures for the longest duration. Knowledge of these qualities may help focus strategies for reservoir elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie N. Kinloch
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC
| | - Aniqa Shahid
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC
| | - Winnie Dong
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC
| | - Don Kirkby
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC
| | - Bradley R. Jones
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC
- Bioinformatics Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
| | | | - Daniel MacMillan
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC
| | - Guinevere Q. Lee
- Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Talia M. Mota
- Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hanwei Sudderuddin
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC
- Experimental Medicine Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
| | - Evan Barad
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC
| | - Marianne Harris
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC
- Department of Family Practice, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
| | - Chanson J. Brumme
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
| | - R. Brad Jones
- Infectious Diseases Division, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mark A. Brockman
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby BC
| | - Jeffrey B. Joy
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC
- Bioinformatics Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
| | - Zabrina L. Brumme
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC
- British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, BC
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5
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Pasternak AO, Berkhout B. HIV persistence: silence or resistance? Curr Opin Virol 2023; 59:101301. [PMID: 36805974 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2023.101301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Despite decades of suppressive antiretroviral therapy, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reservoirs in infected individuals persist and fuel viral rebound once therapy is interrupted. The persistence of viral reservoirs is the main obstacle to achieving HIV eradication or a long-term remission. The last decade has seen a profound change in our understanding of the mechanisms behind HIV persistence, which appears to be much more complex than originally assumed. In addition to the persistence of transcriptionally silent proviruses in a stable latent reservoir that is invisible to the immune system, HIV is increasingly recognized to persist by resistance to the immune clearance, which appears to play a surprisingly prominent role in shaping the reservoir. In this review, we discuss some emerging insights into the mechanisms of HIV persistence, as well as their implications for the development of strategies towards an HIV cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander O Pasternak
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Ben Berkhout
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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6
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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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7
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Viral proteases as therapeutic targets. Mol Aspects Med 2022; 88:101159. [PMID: 36459838 PMCID: PMC9706241 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2022.101159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Some medically important viruses-including retroviruses, flaviviruses, coronaviruses, and herpesviruses-code for a protease, which is indispensable for viral maturation and pathogenesis. Viral protease inhibitors have become an important class of antiviral drugs. Development of the first-in-class viral protease inhibitor saquinavir, which targets HIV protease, started a new era in the treatment of chronic viral diseases. Combining several drugs that target different steps of the viral life cycle enables use of lower doses of individual drugs (and thereby reduction of potential side effects, which frequently occur during long term therapy) and reduces drug-resistance development. Currently, several HIV and HCV protease inhibitors are routinely used in clinical practice. In addition, a drug including an inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 main protease, nirmatrelvir (co-administered with a pharmacokinetic booster ritonavir as Paxlovid®), was recently authorized for emergency use. This review summarizes the basic features of the proteases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and SARS-CoV-2 and discusses the properties of their inhibitors in clinical use, as well as development of compounds in the pipeline.
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8
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Weymar GHJ, Bar-On Y, Oliveira TY, Gaebler C, Ramos V, Hartweger H, Breton G, Caskey M, Cohn LB, Jankovic M, Nussenzweig MC. Distinct gene expression by expanded clones of quiescent memory CD4 + T cells harboring intact latent HIV-1 proviruses. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111311. [PMID: 36070690 PMCID: PMC9471989 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Antiretroviral therapy controls, but does not cure, HIV-1 infection due to a reservoir of rare CD4+ T cells harboring latent proviruses. Little is known about the transcriptional program of latent cells. Here, we report a strategy to enrich clones of latent cells carrying intact, replication-competent HIV-1 proviruses from blood based on their expression of unique T cell receptors. Latent cell enrichment enabled single-cell transcriptomic analysis of 1,050 CD4+ T cells belonging to expanded clones harboring intact HIV-1 proviruses from 6 different individuals. The analysis reveals that most of these cells are T effector memory cells that are enriched for expression of HLA-DR, HLA-DP, CD74, CCL5, granzymes A and K, cystatin F, LYAR, and DUSP2. We conclude that expanded clones of latent cells carrying intact HIV-1 proviruses persist preferentially in a distinct CD4+ T cell population, opening possibilities for eradication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg H J Weymar
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Yotam Bar-On
- Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 320003, Israel
| | - Thiago Y Oliveira
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Christian Gaebler
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Victor Ramos
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Harald Hartweger
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Gaëlle Breton
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Marina Caskey
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Lillian B Cohn
- Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Mila Jankovic
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Michel C Nussenzweig
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
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9
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Markers of Immune Activation and Inflammation Are Associated with Higher Levels of Genetically-Intact HIV in HIV-HBV Co-Infected Individuals. J Virol 2022; 96:e0058822. [PMID: 35916523 PMCID: PMC9400477 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00588-22] [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] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Co-infection with hepatitis B (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) increases overall and liver-related mortality. In order to identify interactions between these two viruses in vivo, full-length HIV proviruses were sequenced from a cohort of HIV-HBV co-infected participants and from a cohort of HIV mono-infected participants recruited from Bangkok, Thailand, both before the initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and after at least 2 years of ART. The co-infected individuals were found to have higher levels of genetically-intact HIV proviruses than did mono-infected individuals pre-therapy. In these co-infected individuals, higher levels of genetically-intact HIV proviruses or proviral genetic-diversity were also associated with higher levels of sCD14 and CXCL10, suggesting that immune activation is linked to more genetically-intact HIV proviruses. Three years of ART decreased the overall level of HIV proviruses, with fewer genetically-intact proviruses being identified in co-infected versus mono-infected individuals. However, ART increased the frequency of certain genetic defects within proviruses and the expansion of identical HIV sequences. IMPORTANCE With the increased availability and efficacy of ART, co-morbidities are now one of the leading causes of death in HIV-positive individuals. One of these co-morbidities is co-infection with HBV. However, co-infections are still relatively understudied, especially in countries where such co-infections are endemic. Furthermore, these countries have different subtypes of HIV circulating than the commonly studied HIV subtype B. We believe that our study serves this understudied niche and provides a novel approach to investigating the impact of HBV co-infection on HIV infection. We examine co-infection at the molecular level in order to investigate indirect associations between the two viruses through their interactions with the immune system. We demonstrate that increased immune inflammation and activation in HBV co-infected individuals is associated with higher HIV viremia and an increased number of genetically-intact HIV proviruses in peripheral blood cells. This leads us to hypothesize that inflammation could be a driver in the increased mortality rate of HIV-HBV co-infected individuals.
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Gálvez C, Urrea V, Garcia-Guerrero MDC, Bernal S, Benet S, Mothe B, Bailón L, Dalmau J, Martinez A, Nieto A, Leal L, García F, Clotet B, Martinez-Picado J, Salgado M. Altered T-cell subset distribution in the viral reservoir in HIV-1-infected individuals with extremely low proviral DNA (LoViReTs). J Intern Med 2022; 292:308-320. [PMID: 35342993 PMCID: PMC9308636 DOI: 10.1111/joim.13484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV cure strategies aim to eliminate viral reservoirs that persist despite successful antiretroviral therapy (ART). We have previously described that 9% of HIV-infected individuals who receive ART harbor low levels of provirus (LoViReTs). METHODS We selected 22 LoViReTs matched with 22 controls ART suppressed for more than 3 years with fewer than 100 and more than 100 HIV-DNA copies/106 CD4+ T cells, respectively. We measured HIV reservoirs in blood and host genetic factors. Fourteen LoViReTs underwent leukapheresis to analyze replication-competent virus, and HIV-DNA in CD4+ T-cell subpopulations. Additionally, we measured HIV-DNA in rectum and/or lymph node biopsies from nine of them. RESULTS We found that LoViReTs harbored not only lower levels of total HIV-DNA, but also significantly lower intact HIV-DNA, cell-associated HIV-RNA, and ultrasensitive viral load than controls. The proportion of intact versus total proviruses was similar in both groups. We found no differences in the percentage of host factors. In peripheral blood, 71% of LoViReTs had undetectable replication-competent virus. Minimum levels of total HIV-DNA were found in rectal and lymph node biopsies compared with HIV-infected individuals receiving ART. The main contributors to the reservoir were short-lived transitional memory and effector memory T cells (47% and 29%, respectively), indicating an altered distribution of the HIV reservoir in the peripheral T-cell subpopulations of LoViReTs. CONCLUSION In conclusion, LoViReTs are characterized by low levels of viral reservoir in peripheral blood and secondary lymphoid tissues, which might be explained by an altered distribution of the proviral HIV-DNA towards more short-lived memory T cells. LoViReTs can be considered exceptional candidates for future interventions aimed at curing HIV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Gálvez
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute and Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Víctor Urrea
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute and Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Maria Del Carmen Garcia-Guerrero
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute and Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Sílvia Bernal
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute and Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.,Chair in Infectious Diseases and Immunity, University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain
| | - Susana Benet
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute and Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.,Lluita contra la SIDA Foundation, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Mothe
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute and Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.,Chair in Infectious Diseases and Immunity, University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain.,Lluita contra la SIDA Foundation, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lucía Bailón
- Lluita contra la SIDA Foundation, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.,Department of Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Judith Dalmau
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute and Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Andrea Martinez
- Lluita contra la SIDA Foundation, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Aroa Nieto
- Lluita contra la SIDA Foundation, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Lorna Leal
- Infectious Diseases Department Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Felipe García
- Infectious Diseases Department Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bonaventura Clotet
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute and Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.,Chair in Infectious Diseases and Immunity, University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain.,Lluita contra la SIDA Foundation, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Martinez-Picado
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute and Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.,Chair in Infectious Diseases and Immunity, University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain.,Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Salgado
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute and Institute for Health Science Research Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
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Heterogeneity of Latency Establishment in the Different Human CD4
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T Cell Subsets Stimulated with IL-15. J Virol 2022; 96:e0037922. [PMID: 35499323 PMCID: PMC9131862 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00379-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV integrates into the host genome, creating a viral reservoir of latently infected cells that persists despite effective antiretroviral treatment. CD4-positive (CD4+) T cells are the main contributors to the HIV reservoir. CD4+ T cells are a heterogeneous population, and the mechanisms of latency establishment in the different subsets, as well as their contribution to the reservoir, are still unclear. In this study, we analyzed HIV latency establishment in different CD4+ T cell subsets stimulated with interleukin 15 (IL-15), a cytokine that increases both susceptibility to infection and reactivation from latency. Using a dual-reporter virus that allows discrimination between latent and productive infection at the single-cell level, we found that IL-15-treated primary human CD4+ T naive and CD4+ T stem cell memory (TSCM) cells are less susceptible to HIV infection than CD4+ central memory (TCM), effector memory (TEM), and transitional memory (TTM) cells but are also more likely to harbor transcriptionally silent provirus. The propensity of these subsets to harbor latent provirus compared to the more differentiated memory subsets was independent of differential expression of pTEFb components. Microscopy analysis of NF-κB suggested that CD4+ T naive cells express smaller amounts of nuclear NF-κB than the other subsets, partially explaining the inefficient long terminal repeat (LTR)-driven transcription. On the other hand, CD4+ TSCM cells display similar levels of nuclear NF-κB to CD4+ TCM, CD4+ TEM, and CD4+ TTM cells, indicating the availability of transcription initiation and elongation factors is not solely responsible for the inefficient HIV gene expression in the CD4+ TSCM subset. IMPORTANCE The formation of a latent reservoir is the main barrier to HIV cure. Here, we investigated how HIV latency is established in different CD4+ T cell subsets in the presence of IL-15, a cytokine that has been shown to efficiently induce latency reversal. We observed that, even in the presence of IL-15, the less differentiated subsets display lower levels of productive HIV infection than the more differentiated subsets. These differences were not related to different expression of pTEFb, and modest differences in NF-κB were observed for CD4+ T naive cells only, implying the involvement of other mechanisms. Understanding the molecular basis of latency establishment in different CD4+ T cell subsets might be important for tailoring specific strategies to reactivate HIV transcription in all the CD4+ T subsets that compose the latent reservoir.
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