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(Attack)2: Genetic engineering of cellular and humoral immunity to cure HIV

Award Number: U19AI149504
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 05/07/2020
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 04/30/2026

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(Attack)2: Genetic engineering of cellular and humoral immunity to cure HIV - Overall: Project Summary/Abstract The hypothesis to be tested in our U19 Program Project is that combining therapies of gene-engineered cellular (chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)) and humoral (broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAb)) immune reagents will lead to a cure of HIV-1 disease. In the single remarkable case of the “Berlin patient”, allogeneic transplant of CCR5Δ32 donor cells resulted in a functional cure without evidence for remaining HIV-1. However, a universal unresolved limitation of transplant of gene-engineered hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) has been the difficulty of achieving engraftment levels sufficient to provide good therapeutic efficacy. We propose here to focus on building gene-engineered cellular and humoral immune therapeutics. One approach is a CAR recognizing HIV-1 infected cells. T cell immunotherapy with tumor specific CARs delivered by adoptive T cell therapy has proven to be effective against cancer in early human studies. We hypothesize that HSPC based delivery of CAR- T cells can enhance the number and functional responses of the resultant engineered T cells. To complement the engineering of T cell-mediated immunity, we also propose to engineer B cells to express bNAbs modified as single chain variants (scFv-Fc bNAb). BNAbs directed to HIV-1 have shown promise at suppressing viremia in animal models and clearing SHIV from the blood and tissues of infant rhesus macaques and human clinical studies show effective suppression. Nonetheless, bNAbs require multiple injections to maintain levels required to suppress virus in plasma and have not cleared virus in chronic infection. We will use novel lentiviral vectors gene-engineered to target delivery of scFv-Fc bNAb into B cells in vivo without ex vivo manipulation. We hypothesize that this strategy will promote bNAb production, biodistribution and activation/differentiation of gene- modified B cells to clear HIV-1 reservoirs. Finally, success of these gene-modifying therapeutics depends upon achieving sufficient systemic levels of gene-modified cells. Thus, another project will specifically address means to modulate up or down the levels of gene-modified cells to achieve maximum therapeutic efficacy. In addition, should any adverse effects be observed, the same reagent can be used to quickly eliminate gene-modified cells, providing a “kill-switch”, and thus an added safety element to the overall approach. Drs. Kitchen and Chen (UCLA) will serve as dual-PIs. Both have extensive experience in general stem cell biology and its applications to HIV-1 disease. The Project/Core Leaders have expertise in HIV-1 biology and gene therapeutic approaches to HIV-1 disease. The breadth of expertise ranges from vector and transgene development (Chen, An, Morizono, Kitchen, Symonds), development and use of animal models for HSPC biology (Kitchen, An, Morizono, Chen, Kiem), anti-HIV-1 immune function (Yang, Kitchen), understanding of HSPC behavior (Chen) to clinical trial implementation (Symonds).


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	2024	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90024	LOS ANGELES	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	5	5/14/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $2,848,211 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90024	LOS ANGELES	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	5	4/24/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$2,848,211
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90024	LOS ANGELES	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	002	5	6/10/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90024	LOS ANGELES	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	001	5	5/15/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $2,848,211

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $2,848,126 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90024	LOS ANGELES	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	4	4/27/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$2,848,126
														Subtotal = $2,848,126

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $2,847,671 )
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90024	LOS ANGELES	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	3	4/27/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$2,847,671
														Subtotal = $2,847,671

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $2,847,927 )
2021	2021	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90024	LOS ANGELES	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	2	8/12/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$2,847,927
														Subtotal = $2,847,927

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $2,872,207 )
2020	2020	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90095	LOS ANGELES	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	1	5/7/2020	NEW	$2,872,207
														Subtotal = $2,872,207

Grand Total All Awards = $14,264,142

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(Attack)2: Genetic engineering of cellular and humoral immunity to cure HIV

Award Number: U19AI149504

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT

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

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 05/07/2020

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 04/30/2026

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