Mechanisms Underlying the HIV-HSV-2 Syndemic

Epidemiological studies consistently demonstrate that HSV-2 adversely impacts HIV. Defining the underlying mechanisms will lead to the development of new strategies for HIV eradication. We propose to test the hypothesis that HSV-2 promotes changes in peripheral blood CD4+ T cells that facilitate HIV reactivation and to identify pathways and molecules that could be targeted to block HIV reactivation in response to HSV-2 or conversely, enhance latency reversal as part of “shock and kill” HIV eradication strategies.