Investigate Host Gene Isoforms Contributing to HIV Persistence in Cocaine Users

PROJECT SUMMARY Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) is successful to block active replication of HIV, it does not completely eradicate the infection. HIV remains persistently infected and viral load can rebound after ART withdrawal, presenting a major obstacle for cure of HIV/AIDS. Investigation of host machineries that regulate HIV replication will help to improve the understanding of the mechanisms supporting HIV persistent infection. It will also provide new strategies to perturb host regulatory factors for eliminating residual HIV. This topic is especially relevant for the HIV-infected drug users, since drug abuse creates a profound impact on HIV infection, increasing the difficulty to manage HIV viral reservoirs. Our earlier effort includes the identification of novel host restriction factors specifically associated with a rare subset of HIV-infected individuals (