Our research program focuses on 1) delineating the role of viral reservoirs in the pathogenesis of HIV disease; 2) examining host and viral factors that contribute to the maintenance of HIV reservoirs; and 3) developing therapeutic strategies aimed at achieving durable virologic control in infected individuals in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. Our research program utilizes Bench-to-Bedside approaches. We conduct comprehensive genetic, immunologic, and virologic analyses of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells in diverse cohorts of HIV-infected individuals in order to address fundamental pathogenic questions, such as elucidating mechanisms of viral persistence, the role of the host immunity in containment of viral replication and evaluating promising novel therapeutic agents in both ex vivo and in vivo settings. Based on findings from bench research, we also conduct phase I clinical trials in close collaboration with the NIAID HIV clinic, with the ultimate goal of developing safe, effective, and scalable therapeutic strategies that would allow HIV-infected individuals to control viral replication in the absence of daily antiretroviral drugs.

Dr. Chun received his Ph.D. from the Biochemistry, Cellular, and Molecular Biology Graduate Program from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine where he the first to discover latently infected, resting CD4+ T cells in HIV-infected individuals. In 1997, he was recruited by Dr. Anthony Fauci in the Laboratory of Immunoregulation at NIAID to pursue his studies on HIV persistence in infected individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy as a post-doctoral research fellow. In 2001, Dr. Chun was appointed to the position of staff scientist and, in 2016, he became a tenure track investigator after being selected from the Trans-NIH Earl Stadtman Tenure-Track Program. Dr. Chun received full tenure in 2020.

Members of the HIV Immunovirology Section Research Group

• Jana Blazkova, Ph.D., staff scientist
• Erin D. Huiting, special volunteer
• J. Shawn Justement, senior research assistant
• Rachel F. Schneck, postbaccalaureate fellow, Intramural Research Training Awards Program
• Victoria Shi, M.S., biologist
• Emily J. Whitehead, postbaccalaureate fellow, Intramural Research Training Awards Program

Blazkova J, Refsland EW, Clarridge KE, Shi V, Justement JS, Huiting ED, Gittens KR, Chen X, Schmidt SD, Liu C, Doria-Rose N, Mascola JR, Heredia A, Moir S, Chun TW. Glycan-dependent HIV-specific neutralizing antibodies bind to cells of uninfected individuals. J Clin Invest. 2019 Oct 7. pii: 125955.

Sneller MC, Clarridge KE, Seamon C, Shi V, Zorawski MD, Justement JS, Blazkova J, Huiting ED, Proschan MA, Mora JR, Shetzline M, Moir S, Lane HC, Chun TW, Fauci AS. An open-label phase 1 clinical trial of the anti-a4b7 monoclonal antibody vedolizumab in HIV-infected individuals. Sci Transl Med. 2019 Sep 11;11(509). pii: eaax3447.

Huiting ED, Gittens K, Justement JS, Shi V, Blazkova J, Benko E, Kovacs C, Wender PA, Moir S, Sneller MC, Fauci AS, Chun TW. Impact of Treatment Interruption on HIV Reservoirs and Lymphocyte Subsets in Individuals Who Initiated Antiretroviral Therapy During the Early Phase of Infection. J Infect Dis. 2019 Jun 19;220(2):270-274.

Wang CY, Wong WW, Tsai HC, Chen YH, Kuo BS, Lynn S, Blazkova J, Clarridge KE, Su HW, Lin CY, Tseng FC, Lai A, Yang FH, Lin CH, Tseng W, Lin HY, Finstad CL, Wong-Staal F, Hanson CV, Chun TW*, Liao MJ*. Effect of Anti-CD4 Antibody UB-421 on HIV-1 Rebound after Treatment Interruption. N Engl J Med. 2019 Apr 18;380(16):1535-1545.

Clarridge KE, Blazkova J, Einkauf K, Petrone ME, Refsland EW, Sneller MC, Justement JS, Shi V, Huiting ED, Seamon CA, Lee GQ, Yu XG, Moir S, Sneller MC, Lichterfeld M, Chun TW. Effect of analytical treatment interruption and reinitiation of antiretroviral therapy on HIV reservoirs and immunologic parameters in infected individuals. PLoS Pathog. 2018 Jan 11;14(1):e1006792.

Visit PubMed for a complete publication listing.

Combination Therapy With VRC-HIVMAB060-00-AB (VRC01) and 10-1074 in HIV-Infected Individuals Undergoing Sequential Treatment Interruptions, NCT03831945

Combination Therapy With 3BNC117 and 10-1074 in HIV-Infected Individuals, NCT03571204

Impact of a Short-Term Analytical Treatment Interruption and Re-Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy on Immunologic and Virologic Parameters in HIV-Infected Individuals, NCT03225118

Vedolizumab (Anti-alpha4beta7) in Subjects with HIV Infection Undergoing Analytical Treatment Interruption, NCT02788175

Therapeutic Vaccine for HIV, NCT01859325

VRC-HIVMAB060-00-AB (VRC01) in People with Chronic HIV Infection Undergoing Analytical Treatment Interruption, NCT02471326

Leukapheresis Procedures to Obtain Plasma and Lymphocytes for Research Studies on Primary and Chronic HIV-Infected Patients, NCT00039689