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Towards point of care HIV detection using repurposed glucose meters

Award Number: R33AI140475
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/01/2019
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2025

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Towards point of care HIV detection using repurposed glucose meters - Project Summary Self-testing of HIV viral load would significantly reduce new infections and provide methods for HIV positive individuals to monitor viral load in the privacy of their own homes. Testing at home followed by analysis of the aggregate data would also assist health care providers, program managers and policy makers to determine the impact of new clinical trials and other interventions. The challenges involved in developing self-testing HIV viral load tests are formidable; for example, the current laboratory tests use milliliters of venous blood extracted in a clinical setting. For self-testing, only microliters of finger stick blood are used, which has low HIV viral copy numbers. To meet these challenges, an interdisciplinary team of scientists with a proven track record has been assembled; the team includes expertise from Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering and Virology. The team has successfully demonstrated the ability to detect influenza virus and measure antiviral susceptibility using repurposed glucose meters in less than 15 minutes. Here, the strategy focuses on detecting HIV protease activity using repurposed glucometers and correlating protease activity to viral load. Since low copy numbers are present in a sample, signal amplification is necessary. In specific aim 1 (R61 phase), a caspase-3 proenzyme bearing HIV protease peptide substrate will be produced. Exposure to HIV protease will result in an active caspase-3 enzyme, which will convert an electrochemically inactive substrate to produce an electrochemically active analyte for detection and qualification with glucometers. In specific aim 2 (R61 phase), mesoporous silica beads capped with anti-HIV protease antibody or peptide substrate will be produced. Inorganic catalysts will be embedded inside the pores of the beads. Exposure to HIV protease will uncap the antibodies or peptide substrate and release the catalysts, which will reach with a substrate to produce an electrochemically active analyte for detection with glucometers. The first two specific aims are designed to be independent of each other to de-risk this high risk, high impact project. Successful execution of specific aims 1 and 2 will lead to specific aim 3 (R33 phase), which would involve testing of the virus from culture and from HIV positive patients. The results from the R33 phase will be compared and contrasted to laboratory based methods including highly accurate PCR methods. At the end of the project period, proof of principle for a novel method that uses repurposed glucose meters to detect HIV during the acute phase and when the viral load increases due to antiviral resistance or discontinuing treatment will be established.


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: 2025 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2025	2023	UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LOWELL	600 SUFFOLK ST STE 450	LOWELL	MA	01854	MIDDLESEX	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	001	5	1/27/2025	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$902,882
2025	2022	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC	58 EDGEWOOD AVE NE	ATLANTA	GA	30303	FULTON	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	4	1/27/2025	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	-$902,882
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $1,438,322 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS	600 SUFFOLK ST STE 212	LOWELL	MA	01854	MIDDLESEX	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	001	5	8/22/2023	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$788,528
2023	2022	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC	58 EDGEWOOD AVE NE	ATLANTA	GA	30303	FULTON	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	4	8/21/2023	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$0
2023	2022	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC	58 EDGEWOOD AVE NE	ATLANTA	GA	30303	FULTON	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	002	4	9/20/2023	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$649,794
														Subtotal = $1,438,322

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $790,884 )
2022	2022	GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.	58 EDGEWOOD AVE NE 3RD FL	ATLANTA	GA	30303	FULTON	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	4	8/18/2022	EXTENSION WITH OR WITHOUT FUNDS	$790,884
														Subtotal = $790,884

Grand Total All Awards = $2,229,206

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Towards point of care HIV detection using repurposed glucose meters

Award Number: R33AI140475

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

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

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/01/2019

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2025

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