Dynamic in vivo imaging of HIV-1 infection in the female reproductive tract

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Heterosexual transmission of HIV-1 is one of the main drivers of the global spread of the AIDS pandemic. Studies with non-human primates infected with SIV as well as with HIV-1 patient cohorts strongly emphasized the importance of early acute phase of HIV-1 infection in pathogenesis and transmission of the disease. It has not been possible to understand the dynamics of HIV-1 infection in the female reproductive tract because of the lack of appropriate models and suitable imaging approaches. In this DFG research fellowship application, I aim to overcome these limitations and for the first time obtain a dynamic picture of HIV-1 infection in the female reproductive tract (FRT) of a humanized mouse model by in vivo intravital imaging approaches. The overall goal is to understand the mechanistic details of the interactions between HIV-1 virions and infected cells with genital tract immune cells in the early stages of infection. The results obtained in this project will lead to a better understanding of the nature of the HIV-1 infection during the early stages and provide a solid mechanistic basis to understand the key concepts of heterosexual HIV-1 transmission.