Identifying the Earliest Immune Responses to HIV Infection in Women

Annually, more than two million new HIV infections occur worldwide, with the largest proportion of new infections occurring in women via heterosexual intercourse. Considerable attention has been given to understanding attributes of the virus types that initiate infection. However, only recently has attention been paid to the early response of the innate immune system at sites of transmission. Prevention strategies must act in the brief window of opportunity between virus exposure and the establishment of widespread infection. Before an antibody response can be generated, the innate immune system has a wide range of mechanisms to react to viral infections immediately. Therefore, it is the goal of this proposal to elucidate the nature of the first innate immune responses to HIV infection in women at the earliest times after viral acquisition. This will be done by measuring the host response to infection of female reproductive tract tissues that have been removed during hysterectomies. This will enable improved care for women through identifying the pathways that have the capacity to interrupt and clear early viral infections.