Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Lara Vojnov, Sergio Carmona, Clement Zeh, Jessica Markby, Debrah Boeras, Marta R. Prescott, Anthony L. H. Mayne, Souleymane Sawadogo, Christiane Adje-Toure, Guoqing Zhang, Mercedes Perez Gonzalez, Wendy S. Stevens, Meg Doherty, Chunfu Yang, Heather Alexander, Trevor F. Peter, John Nkengasong
Summary: This study compared viral load testing results between dried blood spot and plasma specimens, finding that dried blood spot specimens consistently produced higher mean viral loads across all technologies compared to plasma specimens, but each technology performed best compared to plasma at a threshold of 1,000 copies/ml when identifying virological failure.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Reza Nouri, Yuqian Jiang, Anthony J. Politza, Tianyi Liu, Wallace H. Greene, Yusheng Zhu, Jonathan J. Nunez, Xiaojun Lian, Weihua Guan
Summary: This study reported a new digital CRISPR-Cas13 assay (dCRISPR) using automated membrane-based partitioning to achieve absolute quantification of HIV-1 viral RNAs. The method does not require amplification and can rapidly quantify RNA samples over a wide range in a short period of time.
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Neeti Agarwal, Dinakar Iyer, Pradip Saha, Aaron R. Cox, Yan Xia, Netanya S. Utay, Anoma Somasundaram, Ulrich Schubert, Jordan E. Lake, Sean M. Hartig, Ashok Balasubramanyam
Summary: By studying the impact of the HIV accessory protein Vpr on adipose tissue function, it was found that Vpr mice exhibit metabolic inflexibility and a marked inability to regulate body temperature. This suggests that Vpr may play a role in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders in persons living with HIV.
Article
Microbiology
Chuyu Zhang, Yun Lan, Linghua Li, Ruiying He, Yu Meng, Jian Li, Weilie Chen
Summary: This study investigated the factors associated with different HIV-1 tropisms in low-level viral load HIV-1 infections in China. The majority of infections in Guangdong receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy for more than 6 months were R5-tropic, and the baseline immune level was lower in X4-tropic infections. Furthermore, certain amino acid variations were associated with X4-tropic HIV-1.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Christian Gaebler, Lilian Nogueira, Elina Stoffel, Thiago Y. Oliveira, Gaelle Breton, Katrina G. Millard, Martina Turroja, Allison Butler, Victor Ramos, Michael S. Seaman, Jacqueline D. Reeves, Christos J. Petroupoulos, Irina Shimeliovich, Anna Gazumyan, Caroline S. Jiang, Nikolaus Jilg, Johannes F. Scheid, Rajesh Gandhi, Bruce D. Walker, Michael C. Sneller, Anthony Fauci, Tae-Wook Chun, Marina Caskey, Michel C. Nussenzweig
Summary: Immunotherapy with anti-HIV-1 antibodies has the potential to suppress infection and increase the rate of clearance of infected cells. A clinical study showed that 76% of HIV-infected individuals who received a combination of antibodies maintained virologic suppression for at least 20 weeks without antiretroviral therapy. The administration of antibodies affected the HIV-1 reservoir, but further research is needed to define the precise effect of antibody immunotherapy.
Article
Immunology
Kai Kammers, Athena Chen, Daniel R. Monaco, Sarah E. Hudelson, Wendy Grant-McAuley, Richard D. Moore, Galit Alter, Steven G. Deeks, Charles S. Morrison, Leigh A. Eller, Joel N. Blankson, Oliver Laeyendecker, Ingo Ruczinski, Susan H. Eshleman, H. Benjamin Larman
Summary: Low HIV viral load is linked to delayed disease progression and reduced transmission, with HIV controllers able to suppress viral load without treatment. The study used the VirScan antibody profiling system to compare antibody reactivity in different HIV groups. Results showed that controllers had higher antibody reactivity to certain peptides compared to non-controllers who were virally suppressed on ART.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kun Qu, Zunlong Ke, Vojtech Zila, Maria Anders-Oesswein, Barbel Glass, Frauke Muecksch, Rainer Mueller, Carsten Schultz, Barbara Mueller, Hans-Georg Kraeusslich, John A. G. Briggs
Summary: The study found that MA rearranges between different hexameric lattices in the maturation process of HIV-1, binding with lipid extending out of the membrane in mature HIV-1. The data suggest that proteolytic maturation of HIV-1 assembles the viral capsid and repurposes the membrane-bound MA lattice for cell entry or post-entry function, resulting in the removal of up to 2500 lipids from the viral membrane.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Manish Gupta, Alexander J. Pak, Gregory A. Voth
Summary: Researchers use molecular dynamics simulations to reveal the molecular mechanism of HIV-1 capsid formation, including the role of IP6. This study shows that IP6 initially promotes curvature generation by trapping pentameric defects and shifts the assembly behavior towards kinetically favored outcomes. Additionally, IP6 can stabilize metastable capsid intermediates and induce structural pleomorphism in mature capsids.
Article
Microbiology
Adolfo Vubil, Ana Flora Zicai, Nadia Sitoe, Carina Nhachigule, Paulino da Costa, Cacildo Magul, Bindiya Meggi, Sofia Viegas, Nedio Mabunda, Ilesh Jani, Yongjun Sui
Summary: In evaluating antiretroviral therapy failure, Burnett performed better than DBS, while HemaSpot performed worse than DBS. However, both devices have a high rate of non-reportable results.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Raquel Crespo, Shringar Rao, Tokameh Mahmoudi
Summary: HIV-1 infection cannot be cured because of the presence of a small pool of resting memory CD4+ T cells carrying replication-competent provirus, known as the viral reservoir. Reversing HIV-1 latency pharmacologically followed by cell killing has been proposed as a potential strategy to target and eliminate the viral reservoirs. However, no permanent reduction of the viral reservoir has been achieved so far due to the complexity of latency, which involves strict intrinsic regulation at multiple levels of transcription and RNA processing. The mechanisms that control HIV-1 latency establishment and maintenance have been mostly studied in relation to chromatin remodeling, transcription initiation and elongation, with most latency reversing agents targeting LTR-driven transcription.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Wendy Grant-McAuley, William Morgenlander, Sarah E. Hudelson, Manjusha Thakar, Estelle Piwowar-Manning, William Clarke, Autumn Breaud, Joel Blankson, Ethan Wilson, Helen Ayles, Peter Bock, Ayana Moore, Barry Kosloff, Kwame Shanaube, Sue-Ann Meehan, Anneen van Deventer, Sarah Fidler, Richard Hayes, Ingo Ruczinski, Kai Kammers, Oliver Laeyendecker, H. Benjamin Larman, Susan H. Eshleman
Summary: This study analyzed the HIV antibody response in controllers and non-controllers and its association with viral load. It found that specific antibody responses prior to infection were associated with controller status and lower viral load, while another antibody response was associated with non-controller status and higher viral load. These findings may contribute to research on antibody-based interventions for HIV treatment.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Shaozu Fu, An Thanh Phan, Dexin Mao, Xinlu Wang, Guangxia Gao, Stephen P. Goff, Yiping Zhu
Summary: HIV-1 infection activates the host cell's DNA repair pathway FA and utilizes FANCI-D2 protein for stable integration of viral DNA into the genome. Knockout of FANCI inhibits both the replication of HIV-1 and its DNA integration.
Article
Microbiology
Amber D. Jones, Svetlana Khakhina, Tara Jaison, Erin Santos, Stephen Smith, Zachary A. Klase
Summary: A subset of HIV-1 infected individuals can control viral spread without antiretroviral therapy, which is associated with an effective CD8(+) T-cell response. However, this control is lost when viral load is suppressed, as indicated by a CD4:CD8 ratio.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Virology
Howard Newman, Diana Hardie
Summary: HIV-1 viral load testing is essential for monitoring antiretroviral treatment programs, but resource-limited settings face challenges that affect testing quality. Despite logistical and financial obstacles, innovative solutions exist to overcome barriers and provide widespread access to viral load testing.
REVIEWS IN MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Jyothi K. Rajashekar, Jonathan Richard, Jagadish Beloor, Jeremie Prevost, Sai Priya Anand, Guillaume Beaudoin-Bussieres, Liang Shan, Dietmar Herndler-Brandstetter, Gabrielle Gendron-Lepage, Halima Medjahed, Catherine Bourassa, Fleur Gaudette, Irfan Ullah, Kelly Symmes, Andrew Peric, Emily Lindemuth, Frederic Bibollet-Ruche, Jun Park, Hung-Ching Chen, Daniel E. Kaufmann, Beatrice H. Hahn, Joseph Sodroski, Marzena Pazgier, Richard A. Flavell, Amos B. Smith, Andres Finzi, Priti Kumar
Summary: Research has shown that CD4mc can sensitize HIV-1-infected cells to ADCC by facilitating antibody recognition of epitopes on the viral envelope that are otherwise occluded. Combining CD4mc with specific antibodies can reduce viral replication and reservoir size by enhancing ADCC. The dependence on NK cells and Fc effector functions for these effects highlights the importance of ADCC in combating HIV-1.
CELL HOST & MICROBE
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Shimba Henerico, Sello Given Mikasi, Samuel Elias Kalluvya, Jan M. Brauner, Seif Abdul, Eric Lyimo, Bernard Desderius, Klaus Korn, Gert van Zyl, Graeme Brendon Jacobs, Wolfgang Preiser, Christa Kasang
Summary: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and patterns of HIV drug resistance in patients with suspected virological failure. The results showed that patients with a single high viral load above the WHO threshold have high rates of resistance-associated mutations. This suggests that a single high viral load measurement could be used to predict virological failure and avoid delays in switching patients to second-line regimens with higher genetic barriers.
JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Constanze Kuhlmann, Carla Konstanze Mayer, Mathilda Claassen, Tongai Maponga, Wendy A. Burgers, Roanne Keeton, Catherine Riou, Andrew D. Sutherland, Tasnim Suliman, Megan L. Shaw, Wolfgang Preiser
Article
Immunology
Tongai G. Maponga, Montenique Jeffries, Houriiyah Tegally, Andrew Sutherland, Eduan Wilkinson, Richard J. Lessells, Nokukhanya Msomi, Gert van Zyl, Tulio de Oliveira, Wolfgang Preiser
Summary: A 22-year-old woman with uncontrolled advanced HIV infection was persistently infected with the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant for 9 months, accumulating over 20 additional mutations. Antiretroviral therapy effectively suppressed HIV and cleared SARS-CoV-2 within 6 to 9 weeks. Increased vigilance is necessary to benefit individuals and prevent the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Shimba Henerico, Eric Lyimo, Abel N. Makubi, Daniel Magesa, Bernard Desderius, Andreas Mueller, John Changalucha, Samuel E. Kalluvya, Gert Van Zyl, Wolfgang Preiser, Stephen E. Mshana, Christa Kasang
Summary: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of INSTI primary resistance mutations in Tanzanian patients exposed to ART but not INSTIs. The results showed no major INSTI mutations in the patients, supporting the scale-up of INSTI-based regimens.
JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Rabia Johnson, Noluxabiso Mangwana, Jyoti R. Sharma, Christo J. F. Muller, Kholofelo Malemela, Funanani Mashau, Stephanie Dias, Pritika Ramharack, Craig Kinnear, Brigitte Glanzmann, Amsha Viraragavin, Johan Louw, Swastika Surujlal-Naicker, Sizwe Nkambule, Candice Webster, Mongezi Mdhluli, Glenda Gray, Angela Mathee, Wolfgang Preiser, Alvera Vorster, Shareefa Dalvie, Renee Street
Summary: This study is one of the first to detect Omicron sublineages BA.4 and BA.5 in wastewater from South Africa. The research found a strong positive correlation between the viral RNA of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater samples and clinical cases, demonstrating the importance of wastewater-based epidemiology in monitoring the spread and potential origin of new Omicron sublineages.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Letter
Immunology
Tongai G. Maponga, Montenique Jeffries, Houriiyah Tegally, Andrew Sutherland, Eduan Wilkinson, Richard J. Lessells, Nokukhanya Msomi, Gert van Zyl, Tulio de Oliveira, Wolfgang Preiser
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Mary-Ann Davies, Erna Morden, Petro Rousseau, Juanita Arendse, Jamy-Lee Bam, Linda Boloko, Keith Cloete, Cheryl Cohen, Nicole Chetty, Pierre Dane, Alexa Heekes, Nei-Yuan Hsiao, Mehreen Hunter, Hannah Hussey, Theuns Jacobs, Waasila Jassat, Saadiq Kariem, Reshma Kassanjee, Inneke Laenen, Sue Le Roux, Richard Lessells, Hassan Mahomed, Deborah Maughan, Graeme Meintjes, Marc Mendelson, Ayanda Mnguni, Melvin Moodley, Katy Murie, Jonathan Naude, Ntobeko A. B. Ntusi, Masudah Paleker, Arifa Parker, David Pienaar, Wolfgang Preiser, Hans Prozesky, Peter Raubenheimer, Liezel Rossouw, Neshaad Schrueder, Barry Smith, Mariette Smith, Wesley Solomon, Greg Symons, Jantjie Taljaard, Sean Wasserman, Robert J. Wilkinson, Milani Wolmarans, Nicole Wolter, Andrew Boulle
Summary: The clinical severity of Omicron BA.4/BA.5 infection was compared to BA.1 and earlier variant infections, and it was found that vaccination and previous infection were protective against disease severity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Kayla Eileen Delaney, Trevor Ngobeni, Conan K. K. Woods, Carli Gordijn, Mathilda Claassen, Urvi Parikh, P. Richard Harrigan, Gert Uves van Zyl
Summary: The Nano-RECall pipeline provides low-cost HIV drug resistance interpretation from ONT sequencing data, which is consistent with Sanger sequencing results. This pipeline, combined with a simple workflow and multiplexing samples on ONT flow-cells, contributes to making HIV drug resistance sequencing feasible for resource-limited settings.
TROPICAL MEDICINE & INTERNATIONAL HEALTH
(2023)
Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
Wolfgang Preiser, Tongai Maponga
Article
Immunology
Andrew Redfern, Marieke M. van der Zalm, Juanita Lishman, Pierre Goussard, Liezl Smit, Ron Dagan, Mikhail Barday, Minette Mare, Mathilda Claassen, Gert Van Zyl, Helena Rabie, Lilly M. Verhagen
Summary: This study describes the clinical characteristics and outcomes of South African children with SARS-CoV-2 and non-SARS-CoV-2 acute respiratory illness (ARI). The results show that ARI caused by SARS-CoV-2 is associated with higher morbidity compared to ARI from other causes. However, there are no distinguishing clinical characteristics between SARS-CoV-2 infection and other causes of ARI.
PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Virology
Warren R. J. de Moor, Anna-Lise Williamson, Georgia Schaefer, Nicola Douglass, Sophette Gers, Andrew D. Sutherland, Melissa J. Blumenthal, Emmanuel Margolin, Megan L. Shaw, Wolfgang Preiser, Rosamund Chapman
Summary: This study reports the development and testing of a LSDV-vectored vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, which showed high immunogenicity and protective effects in mice and hamsters. The vaccine induced strong immune responses and neutralizing antibodies.
Article
Respiratory System
Isabelle Dewandel, Margaret van Niekerk, Elisabetta Ghimenton-Walters, Megan Palmer, Michaile G. Anthony, Carla McKenzie, Rolanda Croucamp, Galit Alter, Anne-Marie Demers, Gert van Zyl, Mathilda Claassen, Pierre Goussard, Ruan Swanepoel, Graeme Hoddinott, Corne Bosch, Rory Dunbar, Brian Allwood, Eric D. McCollum, H. Simon Schaaf, Anneke C. Hesseling, Marieke M. van der Zalm
Summary: The UMOYA study aims to build a comprehensive repository of well-characterized children with presumptive pulmonary tuberculosis to explore new diagnostic tools and biomarkers, and to investigate the long-term effects of pulmonary TB on lung health and the quality of life in children.
BMC PULMONARY MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Emmanuel Margolin, Georgia Schafer, Joel D. Allen, Sophette Gers, Jeremy Woodward, Andrew D. Sutherland, Melissa Blumenthal, Ann Meyers, Megan L. Shaw, Wolfgang Preiser, Richard Strasser, Max Crispin, Anna-Lise Williamson, Edward P. Rybicki, Ros Chapman
Summary: By applying an integrated host and glyco-engineering approach, a model antigen of the emerging virus SARS-CoV-2 was successfully produced in Nicotiana benthamiana. The protein produced in plants had a similar structure but differed in glycosylation compared to the protein produced in mammalian cells. Animals immunized with the plant-derived antigen showed reduced viral loads, lower lung pathology, and protection from weight loss after challenge, although the protection was not as potent as that induced by the mammalian cell-culture-derived antigen.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Nombuyiselo Mofokeng, Tongai G. Maponga, Marije van Schalkwyk, Susan Hugo, Molefi Daniel Morobadi, Sabeehah Vawda, Leane Badenhorst, Cloete van Vuuren, Christo van Rensburg, Wolfgang Preiser, Jantjie Taljaard, Su Wang, Veronica Miller, Dan Wu, Joseph D. Tucker, Janet Seeley, Dominique Goedhals, Philippa C. Matthews
Summary: High profile international goals have been set for the elimination of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection as a public health threat by the year 2030. Developing and expanding equitable, accessible translational HBV research programmes that represent real-world populations are an urgent priority for clinical and academic communities. We present experiences and insights by an expert interdisciplinary group focusing on barriers that impede adults living with HBV infection from participating in clinical studies.
JOURNAL OF VIRUS ERADICATION
(2023)
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Douglas F. Nixon, Robert E. Schwartz, Lishomwa C. Ndhlovu
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Atif Khurshid Wani, Chirag Chopra, Daljeet Singh Dhanjal, Nahid Akhtar, Himanshu Singh, Poorvi Bhau, Anjuvan Singh, Varun Sharma, Rafael Silvio Bonilha Pinheiro, Juliana Heloisa Pine Americo-Pinheiro, Reena Singh
Summary: Zoonotic viral infections pose significant threats to global public health. Understanding the origins and dynamics of these infections is crucial for prevention and management of future outbreaks. Metagenomics is a powerful tool for studying the diversity of viral populations and potential zoonotic events.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGICAL METHODS
(2024)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Michel V. F. Sucupira, Ana P. C. Argondizzo, Mariana Miguez, Anna E. de Araujo, Leila B. R. Silva, Marcelle B. Mello, Christiane F. S. Marques, Danielle Brito Cunha, Renata C. Bastos, Vanessa S. de Paula, Luciane A. Amado Leon
Summary: This study focuses on improving the purification, solubility, and protein expression levels of recombinant VP1-2A, a hepatitis A virus (HAV) structural protein with immunogenic activity. The results show that the modified approach successfully produces biologically active HAV VP1-2A, which can be used as a diagnostic tool for HAV infection.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGICAL METHODS
(2024)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Arun K. Dhar, Roberto Cruz-Flores, Hung N. Mai, Janet Warg
Summary: A sensitive and robust TaqMan PCR method for detecting IHHNV in three commercially important shrimp species was developed and compared with other published methods. Multiple primer/probe sets, including qIH-Fw/qIH-Rv and 3144F/3232R, are recommended for the detection of IHHNV. These findings are valuable for large-scale screening of shrimp using a TaqMan real-time PCR assay.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGICAL METHODS
(2024)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Kemal Mehinagic, Matthias Liniger, Maksym Samoilenko, Nick Soltermann, Markus Gerber, Nicolas Ruggli
Summary: A plasmid-based reporter assay has been developed for sensitive detection and titration of infectious African swine fever virus (ASFV). This novel method allows accurate measurement of ASFV titers and is applicable to ASFV of different genotypes, virulence, and sources.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGICAL METHODS
(2024)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Jan Van Slambrouck, Charlotte Schoenaers, Lies Laenen, Xin Jin, Kurt Beuselinck, Ann Verdonck, Joost Wauters, Geert Molenberghs, Bart M. Vanaudenaerde, Robin Vos, Peter Mombaerts, Katrien Lagrou, Laurens J. Ceulemans
Summary: The ability to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA or antigen in BAL fluid samples using point-of-care tests (POCTs) can reduce the risk of developing severe COVID-19 after lung transplantation.
JOURNAL OF VIROLOGICAL METHODS
(2024)