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Effects of HIV SIV on unconventional T cells in immunity to M. tuberculosis in pre adolescents

Award Number: R01AI142662
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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Effects of HIV SIV on unconventional T cells in immunity to M. tuberculosis in pre adolescents - Project Summary Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is a major global health problem in pediatric populations. Children coinfected with HIV and Mtb have an increased risk of developing tuberculosis (TB), even if they are on antiretroviral therapy. We know little about the specific immune defects caused by HIV that are responsible for the increased susceptibility to Mtb, especially in children. As an airborne pathogen, Mtb first encounters immune cells in the lung and the initial response to the infection can dictate whether the host controls the infection or whether the bacteria replicate and spread, causing TB disease. Unconventional T cells, including CD1d- restricted invariant Natural Killer (NK)T cells and Mucosal-Associated Invariant T (MAIT) cells, can detect and destroy Mtb-infected cells and can act before adaptive immunity evolves. HIV impairs both cell types. In our ongoing studies of HIV/Mtb coinfection, using adult macaques and SIV as an HIV surrogate, we found that animals with chronic SIV infection are more susceptible to Mtb and that this is associated with elevated expression of immune exhaustion markers (e.g. PD-1) on MAIT cells. This suggests that SIV-dependent exhaustion of MAIT cells, and perhaps other unconventional T cells, may lower the resistance to Mtb. Here we will use juvenile macaques to model HIV/Mtb coinfected children and determine whether a preexisting SIV infection impairs MAIT and NKT cells. SIV-infected animals will be coinfected with Mtb and TB progression will be quantitatively measured by several clinical, radiologic, and pathologic methods. We will correlate the exhaustion phenotypes of MAIT and NKT cells with the severity of TB, comparing outcomes in SIV-positive vs SIV-naïve juvenile macaques. To formally test whether SIV-dependent exhaustion of MAIT and NKT cells impairs TB resistance, we will treat SIV-infected juvenile macaques with anti-PD-1 to reverse immune exhaustion of MAIT and NKT cells. Following Mtb coinfection, we will compare cellular and humoral immune function as well as TB severity in animals treated with anti-PD-1 to those treated with control antibody. We will also leverage an existing pediatric HIV study in Yangon, Myanmar (R01MH108559) to characterize unconventional T cell populations in pre-adolescents with and without HIV infection and HIV/Mtb coinfection. We will use PBMC to determine the relationship between HIV and TB status with peripheral MAIT and NKT cell frequencies, immune exhaustion status, and cellular function. Together, these studies will provide novel insights into the roles of MAIT and NKT cells, as well as immune exhaustion, in HIV/Mtb coinfection of pre-adolescent children and may identify targets for host-directed therapies aimed at improving the health outcomes of children living with HIV.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $1,200,666 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH - OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION	4200 FIFTH AVENUE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15260	ALLEGHENY	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	5	2/24/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$1,200,666
														Subtotal = $1,200,666

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $1,216,647 )
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH, THE	4200 5TH AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15260	ALLEGHENY	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	4	3/2/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$1,216,647
														Subtotal = $1,216,647

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $1,213,831 )
2021	2021	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH THE	3520 FIFTH AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	3	2/25/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$1,213,831
														Subtotal = $1,213,831

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $1,218,191 )
2020	2020	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH THE	3520 FIFTH AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	2	3/24/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$1,218,191
														Subtotal = $1,218,191

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $1,301,851 )
2019	2019	UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH THE	3520 FIFTH AVE	PITTSBURGH	PA	15213	ALLEGHENY	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	1	3/4/2019	NEW	$1,301,851
														Subtotal = $1,301,851

Grand Total All Awards = $6,151,186

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Effects of HIV SIV on unconventional T cells in immunity to M. tuberculosis in pre adolescents

Award Number: R01AI142662

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

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