DC CFAR Developmental Core Director, Michael Bukrinsky, MD PhD, has recently been awarded a R01 from the National Institutes of Health entitled "Metabolic Complications of HIV Disease Caused by Nef Released from HIV-Infected Cells". This project will study the role of Nef released from HIV-infected cells in metabolic co-morbidities. It has been unclear how a small number of HIV-infected cells can instigate such systemic metabolic diseases as seen in HIV-infected subjects: atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia. The researchers hypothesize that this is due to Nef released from viral reservoirs. The new project will determine the mechanisms behind the activity of extracellular Nef.
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