Selected Grantee Publications

Increased Proviral DNA in Circulating Cells Correlates With Plasma Viral Rebound in SIV-Infected Rhesus Macaques after Antiretroviral Therapy Interruption

Ziani et al., Journal of Virology. 2021.

https://jvi.asm.org/content/early/2021/01/05/JVI.02064-20

Investigators longitudinally tracked dynamic decay of cell-associated viral RNA/DNA in systemic and lymphoid tissues in SIV-infected rhesus macaques on prolonged combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) to evaluate predictors of viral rebound after treatment cessation. Suppressive cART substantially reduced plasma SIV RNA, cell-associated unspliced, and multiply spliced SIV RNA to undetectable levels, yet viral DNA remained detectable in systemic tissues and lymphoid compartments throughout cART. A rapid increase of integrated proviral DNA in peripheral mononuclear cells was detected once cART was withdrawn, accompanied by the emergence of detectable plasma viral load. The increase of peripheral proviral DNA post cART interruption correlated with the emergence and degree of viral rebound. These results suggest that measuring total viral DNA in SIV infection may be a relatively simple surrogate marker of reservoir size, and may predict viral rebound after treatment interruption, and inform treatment strategies. Supported by ORIP (P51OD011104), NIAID and NICHD.