Novel Cytological Assay for HIV

描述（由申请人提供）：尽管抗逆转录病毒治疗的进展，特别是高效抗逆转录病毒治疗（HAART）多药方案，极大地帮助了HIV感染患者的管理，但治疗不能永久消除HIV，并且主要在淋巴组织中存在持久的HIV储存库。开发针对这些储库的新疗法将需要能够检测低水平病毒并识别携带残留病毒的细胞类型的分析方法。由于分析大量细胞所需的时间，稀有细胞检测目前是一个繁琐的过程。使用荧光原位杂交和自动图像分析，该SBIR旨在开发一种高通量的方法，用于定量以低频率存在的HIV感染细胞。该检测方法将有助于快速诊断HIV感染和开发HIV感染的治疗方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Although advances in antiretroviral therapy, in particular Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment (HAART) multi-drug regimens, have greatly aided the management of HIV infected patients, treatments cannot permanently eliminate HIV and long-lasting HIV reservoirs persist, primarily in lymphoid tissue. Developing new therapies directed against these reservoirs will require analytical methods that can detect low levels of virus and identify the types of cells harboring residual virus. Rare cell detection is currently a tedious procedure due to the time needed to analyze large numbers of cells. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization and automated image analysis, this SBIR aims to develop a high throughput method for quantifying HIV infected cells present in low frequency. This assay will facilitate rapid diagnosis of HIV infection and development of treatments for HIV infection.