Infant immune mechanisms of HIV reservoir size and decay
This study will model long term dynamics of the latent HIV reservoir in infants with 5-10 years of follow-up and determine the influence of timing of infant HIV infection, the role of immune activation, HIV viremia, and immune function on HIV reservoir decline and reservoir size. These studies will elucidate the roles of immune activation, immune responses, and natural killer phenotype in reservoir containment and inform intervention strategies in HIV infected children. Funding is provided by an NIH R01 grant.