Single cell transcriptomics of HIV persistence and latency

Project Narrative: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) during HIV-1 infection suppresses viral replication and prevents immunodeficiency but does not cure the infection. We have developed a novel genetically encoded humanized mouse model system that enables us to distinguish latent cells from bystander cells and are now characterizing latent cells using single cell genomic profiling of cells, to reveal an unprecedented unperturbed view HIV latency. We propose here to use single cell genomics, live dynamic imaging and spatial transcriptomics to probe how latent cells survive stimuli that can activate the virus and the immune system.